Gatton Academy – Page 5 – The Gatton Academy News

2019-2020 Avatar: Matthew Johnson

July 22, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Matthew Johnson | No Comments

My name is Matthew Johnson, and I am a newly minted Gatton Academy Avatar and a rising senior. I am from Smithfield, Kentucky in Oldham County. My sending school is Oldham County High School in Buckner, KY and I am the middle of three children. I am originally from California, and lived an hour north of San Diego until we relocated to Kentucky when I was 13. Now I know what you are thinking. This pale, skinny, and small boy is from California? Yes, he is! When I moved to Kentucky, it shocked my peers to learn I was from the Golden State. The move was not at all easy on me, and the culture shock rippled through me every day. EVERYTHING was different, from the way people talked to what they wore to what was taught in school. People thought I was different too, and even called me “Fresh Meat” or “City Slicker”. However, I joined clubs and adapted, a skill that would be very beneficial throughout the rest of my life, and eventually when I would be at Gatton.

I found out about Gatton my freshman year from a friend whose older brother attended. I came home and told my parents about it, and we all thought it was too good to be true and there must have been a catch. There were no programs like this from our home state, as there was no money in the state government to run a program like that. My parent and I attended a preview day towards the end of my freshman year and I decided I would apply. Less than a year later, after applying and interviewing, I received my acceptance and decided to attend almost immediately, as I knew it was the place for me.

Gatton has so far been a great experience. I started the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program under Dr. Rodney King, Ms. Naomi Rowland, and Dr. Claire Rinehart my first semester. This class really showed me how interesting research could be and taught me a lot of basic scientific practices. Another interesting class was Macroeconomics, which taught me a lot about how the world works on a financial level. This was not a required course, but Gatton allows students to take classes that let us explore our other interests. This semester, I am really excited because I get to be a TA (Teaching Assistant) in the same Genome program I took as a junior to the new Gatton Academy juniors, so it really feels full circle. I also was a part of many clubs such a Y Club, the Gatton Academy Medical Association, the Gatton Academy Leaders in Education, and GSA.

Although I loved the Genome Program, I wanted to explore more individualized more related to my career of choice, which is an OB/GYN. I began researching with Dr. Rachel Tinius of the Exercise Science Department my second semester. Before my junior year ended, I received a Research Internship Grant from Mr. Gatton that allowed me to get paid while I conducted research for 8 weeks during the summer, which allowed me to fully devote myself to the research. We ended up looking at the effect of exercise on the presence of the stress hormone cortisol, and the whole summer was a great experience I am very happy I had.

This week, I am traveling to England to go on the Gatton Academy Study Abroad Harlaxton trip. I am beyond excited for this experience, and it is something I have been waiting almost a year for. Not many kids get to say they took a high school English class in England, but that is just another opportunity the Gatton Academy has given me. I love being a Gatton Academy student, and it is so bittersweet that I only have a little over a year of these crazy exciting opportunities left.

Matthew

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2019-2020 Avatar: Belle Begley

July 22, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Belle Begley | No Comments

Hello everyone! My name is Belle Begley and I am a rising senior at the Gatton Academy! I am from the small town of Springfield in Washington County. To date, I have met all of two people who knew where my hometown is located without me giving more information. In Springfield, I grew up in a family of seven which included five kids and two parents. Of those five kids, I was the youngest. So, while my oldest sister is married with three kids, I am heading into my senior year of high school. Crazy, isn’t it? I would go into more detail on my family, but unfortunately, this blog post would turn into a book.

To get a little more on topic, I heard about the Gatton Academy in the fourth or fifth grade from a magazine article my dad showed me. He told me all about the school and how good of an opportunity it was. I never thought about it again until it was October of my sophomore year and my dad came to me and told me we were going to try to apply for Gatton. I received my acceptance a few months later, becoming the second student to ever attend the Academy from Washington County.

Five months after getting accepted, I packed my bags, headed to WKU and I haven’t looked back since. The rigor of Gatton is unlike anything I have experienced before. It truly is the challenge I was looking for. I have had my fair share of late nights trying to study for an exam or doing homework I forgot about, but I wouldn’t give that up for anything. Through Gatton, I have met some of my closest friends, transformed into a mature, responsible student, and truly found the perfect place for me.

I am currently completing a Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant or RIG. Through this program, I will be completing an 8-week internship in the WKU Department of Chemistry with my mentor Dr. Bangbo Yan. My research is focused on finding a metal-organic framework with the ability to reduce carbon dioxide which could lead to a renewable fuel source. I began this research during my spring semester because of my interest in chemical engineering.

During this past winter break, I had the opportunity to study biodiversity in the beautiful country Costa Rica. This experience was one of a kind. During my two week adventure, I held baby leatherback sea turtles, saw skies filled with the brightest stars, and swam in the ocean for the first time ever! I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat!

Here’s to another year of learning, happiness, and memories! Senior year better watch out!

Belle

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2019-2020 Avatar: Jocelyn Martin

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Jocelyn Martin | No Comments

Hey everyone! My name is Jocelyn Martin. I am a rising senior, a dancer, an unsuccessful comedian and now, a Gatton Academy Avatar! I’m from Russell High School in Russell, Kentucky. It’s okay if you’ve never heard of it, as it’s basically a really small town five hours away from Bowling Green. As it is quite a ways away, you might be wondering, “How did you even find out about this school?” Well, I was a faithful VAMPY camper for years. For those of you who don’t know, VAMPY is a summer camp for Verbally And Mathematically Precocious Youth. In short, it was nerd camp. I attended nerd camp every year for three years and absolutely fell in love with it. One day, someone said, “Are you planning on applying to Gatton?” I replied, “What’s that?” They said, “Oh, it’s like VAMPY but all the time.” And here I am.

While I now know it isn’t year-round summer camp, I love it just the same, if not more. One of the reasons I really love it, is because now I get to choose my own classes. Creating your own schedule is really amazing because you don’t have to start learning until you want to. For some people, their ideal schedule runs from 8 AM to 3 PM. For me, my ideal schedule runs from 10AM to 1PM, with the occasional three hour lab. My junior semesters, I packed my schedules so that I could do all of the heavy lifting and relax my senior semesters. Now that I am in my senior semesters, I am relaxing. When I say relaxing, I don’t by any means mean I’m going to slack, I’ve just given myself a smaller workload.

Back when I went to regular high school, I was involved in numerous clubs and extracurricular activities. My sophomore year, I was involved with Academic Team, Science Olympiad, Cheerleading, Orchestra, and Community Theater, all while challenging myself academically. Even though I loved being so involved in my community, I knew Gatton was going to be rough change of pace, so I didn’t join any of the clubs that Gatton offers. However, last semester, I began taking classes at a nearby dance studio and this semester I am also taking a ballet class offered by WKU.

This summer, I continued my spring research project with Dr. Andrew Mienaltowski via the WKU Sisterhood Research Internship Grant award. I worked for eight long weeks before going abroad with my classmates to England. This study abroad trip is a part of the Harlaxton program with Gatton. We will be in England for three weeks just soaking up all the diversity and culture. We will also be taking English 200: Introduction to Literature, and as someone who adores Language Arts, I’m quite excited.

All in all, Gatton is an amazing experience and I’m beyond blessed to have this wonderful opportunity. It’s led to outstanding opportunities and some of the best people I have ever met. Sometimes, I look back and wonder what I would be like if I had never come to Gatton. Every time I do, I realize how grateful I am for this opportunity. Anywho, that’s my spiel! Thanks for tuning in!

Jocelyn

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2019-2020 Avatar: Maggie Gossage

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Maggie Gossage | No Comments

Hi friends! My name is Maggie Gossage, and I am from Russell Springs. My pre-Gatton experience was a unique one. I grew up with educators dispersed throughout my family, so education has always been a priority. Deciding to go to Gatton was a difficult choice because that meant leaving the best principal in the world, my dad, behind at my home high school. I wanted more than what the walls of Russell County High School could offer, and Gatton was just the place for me.

The Gatton Academy has allowed me to take classes in a range of departments and helped me find what I am passionate about. I entered Gatton with a firm plan to pursue psychology in every way possible. But after taking biopsychology with the charismatic Dr. Leslie Baylis second semester, I fell in love with neuroscience and biology. Psychology, though, has still been a major component of my Gatton Academy experience. Over this summer, I got the opportunity to conduct my own research project with Dr. Rick Grieve through the Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant, or RIG as the Gattonites call it. I spent my summer in the Clinical and Applied Research lab researching male body image and action figures physiques. This was a meaningful experience, as I got to write my first research paper that I plan to submit to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Sports and clubs were an integral part of my identity at my sending school. Although I don’t get to run 8 400-meter sprints back-to-back at track practice anymore (sarcasm very much intended), I still have the opportunity to participate in all of my old clubs from my sending school. This past year at Gatton, I was a member of Student Y, GALE (Gatton Academy Leaders in Education), Yearbook, Tennis Club, and Bollywood Movie Club.

One of the best things about going to Gatton, in my opinion, has to be getting the opportunity to study abroad. This summer, I will be traveling across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom for my English Literature class. I am thrilled that my first experience abroad will be with all of my closest friends!

The Gatton Academy has been my home for the past year, literally, because I reside there, but also figuratively. Gatton has introduced me to some of the best people I have ever met. The students are so helpful in every way and, well, I can say the same about the staff. I never go a day without feeling appreciated, and everyone makes it their priority to make everyone around them feel special. Whenever I step foot through the doors of Florence Schneider Hall, I am back where I need to be.

I cannot wait to see what my senior year has in store for me and for Gatton as a whole!

Maggie

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2019-2020 Avatar: Dalton Richardson

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Dalton Richardson | No Comments

My name is Dalton Richardson and I am excited to be an avatar and senior for this year at Gatton. But before I get into Gatton, I’ll give you a little introduction about me. I am from Fayette Country (aka Lexington) and my sending school is Frederick Douglass High School. I have always had a love for classes involving engineering or programming. Before coming to Gatton, I played a ton of golf and switched high schools after my freshman year looking for more of a challenge to my education. But, it wasn’t until Gatton that I found somewhere that was perfect for me.

In the week leading up to Gatton I was more nervous and excited than I had ever been before. But, after that first night, I knew everything was going to be great. Ever since then, everyone has been great and I have made some of the best friends I have ever had, have had some of the most fun I have ever had, and made some great memories.

Education wise, I have been pursuing to widen my understanding of programming by taking as many programming classes as I can. I have learned more than I ever thought was possible and have even started research within this area with Dr. Ziegler. Through this research, I have learned even more about programming and studied an algorithm called the Monte Carlo Tree Search. I have also been able to take other great classes, met some great professors, and discovered some new interests. Just a few of the most memorable classes I have taken include Psychology, American History, and Mobile App Development.

Another great part of Gatton are the study abroad programs. So far I have gone to Costa Rica with Gatton and, as of writing this, am leaving for Harlaxton in one week. Costa Rica was one of the best experiences of my life. I made many friends on that trip and made many awesome memories. Stuff like walking all night along the beach looking for sea turtles, hiking miles through cloud forest, or swimming next to a massive waterfall will stick with me forever. If Harlaxton is even half as good as Costa Rica was, it will be well worth it.

Gatton has so far been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I have no regrets coming here. There have been times where I have been more stressed and overwhelmed than I have ever felt in my life, but it was all still worth it without a doubt. I am excited to come back for one more year in August and am excited to meet all of the new juniors.

Dalton

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2019-2020 Avatar: Lorenzo Mahoney

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Lorenzo Mahoney | No Comments

Hello friends! My name is Lorenzo Mahoney and I am beyond ecstatic to be an Avatar for the 2019-2020 year.

A little about my story pre-Gatton: I’ve lived my entire life in Louisville, Kentucky and I spent the first two years of high school at Kentucky Country Day. There, between Quick Recall, KUNA, and cross country, most times my mentions of Gatton were met with a confusing stare. Nevertheless, the Academy has always been an idea in my head ever since I heard of it during my first year at VAMPY, a summer camp at WKU through the Center for Gifted Studies. Fast forward three years, and I was officially moving into Florence Schneider Hall with around a hundred new classmates, excited but anxious about what new adventures awaited me. Looking back now, little junior me had no idea what was in store.

First, academics. The rigor is unparalleled, but that is what makes achievement great. Before coming here, I had never taken a single biology class. One week in, I had already started research through the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program (GDEP) program to begin isolating and characterizing my own phage (a virus for bacteria) and attending lectures on proteins, genetics, and ecology. I was hooked. The classes at Gatton allow students to pursue STEM in a way unimaginable at their home schools, both in variety and depth. If you have a question, someone on campus has the answer.

Another aspect at Gatton I’m thankful for is the opportunities for research. After the GDEP program, which took me from a simple soil sample to seeing my phage under the electron microscope to presenting at WKU’s research conference, I was eager for more. So, with help from Gatton’s staff and a few emails and meetings with professors, I began biochemistry research with Dr. Sigrid Jacobshagen looking at circadian rhythms and growth rates of different strains of green algae in different growth mediums. The experience has not only helped me learn how to operate in a university lab but see firsthand the complex beauty of nature, all the way down to algal photoreceptors.

Outside the classrooms and labs, Gatton is more of a community than a school. The weekend movie screenings in the Den. Trips down to the recreational center with friends to exercise and de-stress. Helping each other through Calculus problem sets and computer science assignments. Through my junior year, I have been heavily involved in Party Club, a space for political discussion and debate, and our Envirothon team, learning about Kentucky’s wildlife, soil, and environmental issues. Under Gatton’s roof, there’s a group for everyone.

Coming up this summer, I am participating in one of the Academy’s Study Abroad programs, another thing that sets Gatton apart from most schools. To be receiving one of my English credits, I’m hopping across the “Pond” with around 50 of my classmates to visit England for three weeks and immerse myself in the worlds of Brontë, Austen, and Shakespeare. This is my first study abroad experience and I am excited for the trip of a lifetime. Overall, my first year at Gatton has been everything I hoped it to be and I can’t wait to have one more year with my fellow seniors and share it with the new juniors.

Lorenzo

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2019-2020 Avatar: EJ Fields

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, EJ Fields | No Comments

Hi, everyone! My name is EJ Fields, and I am very excited to be a senior this year! I’m from Hazard, Kentucky, a small town of about 5,000 in Perry County.

Before coming to Gatton, I attended Hazard High School. I heard about Gatton in seventh grade from some friends thinking about applying, and it sounded like a perfect fit for me. I made it a personal goal of mine to gain admission, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thus far, my academic and personal experiences at Gatton have been phenomenal and highly memorable. My time here has been one of immense growth. In the classroom, I have spent time taking on rigorous courses that align with my interests and others that have exposed me to new ways of solving problems, in and outside of the classroom. In my personal life, some fundamental beliefs I rarely questioned have been challenged in new and exciting ways I never thought possible.

I took part in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program during my junior year, which gave me my first taste of research. During my time in the Genome Program, I discovered a novel microbacteriophage, a small virus particle that infects bacteria, and acquired valuable skills, including keeping proper laboratory journals and working with microscopic organisms. Genome also helped orient me in terms of what I wanted out of a research program and what I liked and didn’t like about certain kinds of research.

During my first semester, Cheryl, Gatton’s Academic Opportunities Coordinator, sent out an email notifying all juniors of a research opportunity in Barrow, Alaska, with Dr. Noah Ashley and Dr. Melanie Richter studying the circadian rhythms of two species of migratory songbird, the Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur. I was immediately intrigued, as circadian rhythms had always interested me, and going to Alaska had always been a dream of mine. I applied and was fortunate enough to be one of two juniors selected to accompany Drs. Ashley and Richter for the summer field season. I had a wonderful time contributing to the research and loved every minute of it. It was also fascinating to be able to witness Nalukataq, the traditional Iñupiat festival that marks the end of a successful whaling trip. After this amazing experience, I plan to pursue further research opportunities in Dr. Ashley’s lab this year.

Aside from classes and research, another valuable experience during my junior year was study abroad. Over winter break, I participated in Gatton’s Costa Rica program with Dr. Martin Stone. While there, we patrolled the beaches of Playa Grande on the hunt for nesting sea turtles, hiked in the Talamanca Mountains pursuing research projects, my personal favorite, and experienced rustic resort life and the natural beauty of Corcovado National Park at Poor Man’s Paradise. This experience was amazing and eye-opening for me. It was a trip of many travel firsts for me, as I had never been on a plane, let alone out of the country, before Costa, and I wouldn’t trade the experience I had there for anything.

All in all, my experience at Gatton thus far has been extremely rewarding, and I’m very excited to make many more memories this year and to serve as an Avatar, but not the kind from a certain television show and subsequent M. Night Shyamalan live action adaptation.

EJ

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2019-2020 Avatar: Jack McCoun

July 10, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Jack McCoun | No Comments

What’s the best way to introduce myself? A good ole’ “Hey everyone!” or maybe something funny like the Beyoncé I’m listening to right now? I don’t know. I guess I’ll go with just something tried and true. Hi! My name is Jack McCoun and I will be serving as a Gatton Academy avatar for the 2019-2020 school year. I am from northern Kentucky, specifically Henry County. My sending school, or home high school, is Henry County High School. I come from a family of five and am the youngest of my siblings. Together, we all farm our 300-acre land in Smithfield.

Honestly, I didn’t know about Gatton until my freshman year. The day that I toured the academy I had never thought about gifted education due to the inability to obtain one at home. The trip inspired me to pursue my academics further, as I now had an opportunity that would grant me the abilities to fulfill my interests. I took both Geometry and Algebra II at the same time just so that I could meet the requirements of the Academy, along with studying the ACT for a higher score. It took me forever to complete the application; I was so nervous that I spent many hours making sure everything was right. By the end of my sophomore year, I was accepted in to Gatton and the rest is history.

So far my time at the Academy has been great! I study Mandarin Chinese through Gatton’s STEM + Critical Language track, and will be in my third semester of the course this following school year. With this opportunity, I have been able to learn more about cultures outside of our own and view the world in a different perspective rather than the lens of American culture I have always known. This has led me to be a much more open person to new things. Also, I have been an active participant in WKU’s Chinese club, and have presented at the Chinese Spring Symposium. These experiences have allowed me to put my language to use and join with others who share the same passion as me.

In addition to Chinese, I have enrolled in several clubs across Gatton, including Y-Club, Yearbook Club, and the Animal Shelter Club. Each have allowed me to join in our community and form close relationships with my peers and in the family that Gatton holds. I feel that clubs are an important part of any school, especially Gatton, as they bring together students and bolster the community.

I’m still trying to find what my current dream job will be. I have so many things in mind that it can be hard to choose just one. This has never been a problem at Gatton though, as I have always felt encouraged to try new things and see what I like best. One of the things I enjoy about the Academy is the staff’s willingness to help you in achieving your dreams, even if you don’t know what that dream is.

Another opportunity Gatton has given me is the ability to travel safely and efficiently. In about a week I will be leaving the country with forty-nine other Gatton Academy students, with the destination of England. There we will spend three weeks studying and absorbing the rich literature that the country holds. By the end of the trip we will have received our English 200 credit, along with ever lasting memories of friends going study abroad.

I am so excited to experience and share my last year of Gatton with you so that you may be inspired to join our huge Gatton family. Until next time!

Your avatar and friend,

Jack

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2019-2020 Avatar: Usman Salim

July 9, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Usman Salim | No Comments

Hi! My name is Usman Salim and I am absolutely stoked to serve as an Avatar for my senior year! (It’s not quite the same as bending all four elements, but this job is still really cool!) I am a first-generation Pakistani-American from Laurel County; specifically, London, Kentucky.

At my sending school, North Laurel High School (go Jags!), I had fallen into a boring routine: school, after-school extracurriculars, tennis practice, homework, Netflix, sleep. Needless to say, coming to Gatton was a much-needed and very exciting change of pace. I was lucky enough to have had a sibling attend Gatton in the past, so I knew a lot about the program before starting here, but nothing could’ve fully prepared me for what would become a life-changing experience.

When I first arrived at Florence Schneider Hall in August of 2018, I wanted to hit the ground running. I wanted to find research that I would enjoy while also pertaining to my favored STEM field of Biology. Thus, I joined a lab of genetics research under Dr. Srivastava of the Biology Department, and I’ve been fortunate enough to keep pursuing this research even into the summer as a result of receiving a Gatton Research Internship Grant. This is part of why I think Gatton is so special: the insanely huge array of opportunities and paths to choose from.

Aside from research, I love being involved in the Gatton community. Thus, I take part in multiple clubs, such as: Student Y, Boys and Girls Club, (political) Party Club, Gatton Academy Medical Association, and Bollywood Movie Club.

Gatton is definitely a challenge, and my first year here certainly had its ups and downs, but I love the experience, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for us all.

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2019-2020 Avatar: Sarah Pedersen

July 9, 2019 | 2019-2020, Avatars, Sarah Pedersen | No Comments

Hi everyone! I am Sarah Pedersen, a rising senior from Barbourville, Kentucky. I have known about the Gatton Academy since 2014, the year my two older sisters were accepted. I was only in sixth grade, but Gatton instantly hooked me. My sisters told me all about their new friends, computer science projects, and–most importantly–how much Chick-fil-a you can buy for one meal swipe. However, nothing they said could have prepared me for the real Gatton experience.

Prior to attending Gatton, I knew I was interested in the STEM+ Chinese program. My mother was born in Hong Kong, and I figured learning Mandarin could be useful, even if I did not use it in my future career, at least I could talk to my grandparents in another language. My STEM+ classes quickly unearthed a genuine passion for Chinese language and culture. As I am writing this blog post, I am currently in a Starbucks in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It sounds crazy, but I am living in Kaohsiung for the next six weeks as a part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The NSLI-Y scholarship is sponsored by the United States Department of State to send American high school students to foreign countries to learn critical languages. Without Gatton, I would not be learning Mandarin, and I most definitely would not have known about an opportunity like NSLI-Y.

Before starting my junior year, I believed I was a chemistry person. My sisters love chemistry, and I believed everything they enjoyed I would enjoy too. However, very early on into CHEM-120, I realized I was NOT a chemistry person; rather, I found myself interested in mathematics. Taking Calculus I with Dr. Claus Ernst showed me that math goes beyond simple calculations and formulas. This class inspired me to pursue a mathematics-based research project. I found my fit with Dr. Ferhan Atici, researching mathematical models for tumor growth in mice using discrete calculus.

Outside of academics, Gatton has a plethora of extracurricular activities. At my sending school, I was heavily involved in Student Y, and that has not ceased at Gatton. This year, we took a full delegation to the Kentucky Youth Assembly, and I was able to continue my interest in mock court cases as a part of the Judicial Program. Furthermore, not all clubs have to be extra “work.” I found that Film Club, occurring every Saturday night, is an amazing time to just sit back, relax, and take a break from a busy Gatton schedule!

In only one year, Gatton has transformed my life. I cannot wait to see the ways in which I, my classmates, and the incoming juniors grow this upcoming year!

Sarah

By Gatton Academy

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