Avatars – Page 25 – The Gatton Academy News

Avatar Intro: Saadia Akhtar

August 19, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Saadia Akhtar | No Comments

I’m Saadia Akhtar and I am a senior at the Gatton Academy. I am passionate about Biology, History, and Foreign Affairs. My junior year at the Academy was a quite a journey. For the first time in my life, I actually struggled in a class. I also got my first B, and had to learn how to cope with that. I came out of shell as well; I wasn’t afraid to be a typical nerd and try hard in class. The best thing, however, about my junior year was the friends I made and the community I became a part of.

Before I came to the Academy, I thought most people would be super awkward nerds who would always be studying. However, I was happily mistaken. There were a wide variety of people at the Academy- athletes, band kids, quiet kids, loud kids, etc. Everyone got along with each other and supported each other. After spending three weeks in England with most of my class, I became even closer with them. Now I look forward to finishing my high school career with all the friends I made and with the support of the Gatton community and staff.

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Avatar Intro: Rebecca Wood

August 19, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Rebecca Wood | No Comments

Neatly packaged bags, clothes baskets filled to the brim, the familiar sight of textbook boxes – although the building is different, the setting is all too familiar. As I return to the Gatton Academy, a community of acceptance and fun times, I realize the impact that this program has had on my life.

The decision to come to Gatton was a burdensome task. My brother had graduated in the Class of 2013. I didn’t think I wanted to attend an entirely STEM school, nor did I want to abandon my sports, friends, or dog. I reluctantly applied and was granted an interview. After a four-hour drive from Maysville to Bowling Green, I arrived on the beautiful Western Kentucky University campus, and even saw a white squirrel! Through speaking with student volunteers, staff, and other applicants, I realized that this ‘nerdy’ school might be a place I could call home.

Even though the transition of giving up racing cross country and track, as well as playing soccer, driving a car, and seeing my home friends regularly was unpleasant, I soon grasped how positively significant Gatton would be on my life. The people, the community, the dorm life. The late night runs, the volleyball games, the dance parties. The research, the (finally!) challenging courses, the professors. With every passing day, the Academy became even more of a wonderland. The early tears turned into 2 a.m. laughs, and homesickness to “Mom, I think I’ll stay this weekend, too.”

I can honestly say that this year was the first in which I was sincerely looking forward to going back to school. I am enthusiastic to share what I have learned over the past two semesters with my ‘baby juniors’ and to strengthen the bonds I have made with fellow students, instructors, and staff. I am excited to study Mathematics, French, and Environmental Science, along with pursuing Biophysics research. It is going to be a great year, because with this community, how could it not?

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Avatar Intro: Michael Belcher

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Michael Belcher | No Comments

Belcher, Michael 1 Hello, my name is Michael Belcher and I am a senior from Glasgow, KY. I attended Barren County High School for my freshman and sophomore years. This year I have the honor to be an Avatar for the Academy and figured I should just start off by telling you a bit about myself.

Academically, I love and am best at Mathematics and Computer Science. I enjoy reading, playing sports, and video games. From being able to become heavily involved in Math research on campus to traveling to Harlaxton Manor in England over the summer I had the best year of my life. I am super excited about my senior year at the Academy and all that comes with it. This year I hope that our class can be the role models and helpers that the juniors will want and need. My goal for my senior year is to have a productive year and hopefully pass on the tradition of community and excellence to the junior class. Feel free to ask me any questions or talk to me about anything at any time.

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Avatar Intro: Lauren Pedersen

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Lauren Pedersen | No Comments

Pop quiz. Which of the following do you agree with?

You are a certain type of person, and there is not much that can be done to really change that.
No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.
You can do things differently, but the important parts of who you are can’t really be changed.
You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are.

Statements 2 and 4 reflect the growth mindset which purports that a person’s qualities can be improved upon through effort and perseverance. On the other hand, statements 1 and 3 embody the idea of the fixed mindset, or the belief that a person’s qualities are permanent and resistant to change.

I know for many seniors the preceding statements produce fits of unwanted adventure week PTSD centering on reading the book “Mindset” (I cringed as I made this reference). However, reminiscing upon my first year at Gatton, I have found surprising truth in the growth mindset. Upon arriving at The Gatton Academy, I believed in the growth mindset, but I didn’t think it would directly affect me. Other people could change, but I was different. I was as stable as the oxygen we breathe. But just as oxygen changes when it forms chemical bonds, the bonds I formed with my classmates transformed me. Perhaps it was the 2 AM code debugging, the Netflix movie marathons, and the numerous kindergarten days that facilitated this change. Gatton has allowed me to venture down an endless path of self-exploration. At my home school, in Knox County, I was known as “that smart kid”. However, in an environment where each student reflects these qualities, it enabled me to shape myself into so much more. I have become an extroverted introvert, an avatar, a pilot, a procrastinator of laundry, a researcher, and a SCUBA diver.

I am eager to continue my journey of self-exploration through my senior year. I hope to teach my juniors how to maximize their meal plans, navigate campus like a true college student, and take advantage of not only the academic opportunities that Gatton has to offer but the social aspects as well.

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Avatar Intro: Rohan Deshpande

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Rohan Deshpande | No Comments

Before coming to Gatton, I had lived an academically deprived life. I was born and raised in a rural Wisconsin town with a population of about 2,500, so the scholastic opportunities were hard to come by. Up until 5^th grade, everybody had the same schedule because there were only six different classes per grade. However, in 7^th grade, my family moved to Oldham County, which marked a notable improvement in the quality of education, and I was grateful. In late November of my 8^th grade year, my older brother came home talking about this “Gatton place.” He applied, got in, and told me all about the experience. Based on his words of praise, I decided to apply and, fortunately, I was accepted. That day, my brother told me Gatton was an entirely different environment when compared to “regular” high school, and he was right.

My first year at the Academy was unlike anything I had experienced before. I had no parents to nag me and constant social interactions. I enjoyed staying up late talking to my peers about whatever came to mind; various conversation topics included our daily struggles with our classes, recent sports and video game standings, and anything else that caught our eye during the day. Although the courses were more difficult than my previous high school, I truly felt relaxed. If there was any school work or personal hardships I was going through, there was always someone to talk to. Looking back on my first year, I have no regrets and I hope the second year goes as smoothly as the first. I have never studied, traveled, or had as much fun as I did my first year at Gatton and I look forward to the sharing the experience with the next class.

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Avatar Intro: Niven Achenjang

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Niven Achenjang | No Comments

After finishing my last final of the spring semester, having overcome a beast of a 10-page CS (computer science) paper, 18 hours of difficult classes (plus seminar), and the highest levels of procrastination and laziness I have ever experienced in my life, I was ready for summer vacation. I needed the break not only to ease off and forget about class, but also to take a step back and process everything I had gone through the previous year. In one year, I had moved 3 hours away from my parents, began new, close friendships, learned more than I had in any previous year, and matured a great deal.

Looking ahead to what this year holds, I expect it will be full of excitement, trials, and of course, new experiences. I look forward to being able to take more advance courses, and plan on learning from the mistakes I made last year. As an example, I plan on managing my time better. During junior year, I spent little time being productive and did not put in much effort to get to know everyone; I hope this year to more responsibly divide my time and to spend it with a larger range of people. In addition to this, I look forward to the memories, both seen and unforeseen, that I will inevitably make. I expect to play my first intramural sport at WKU, do a research project, and meet a host of new people; these all feel like they will be very memorable experiences.

Throughout this blog, I have spoken more about what I do than about who I am. Simply put, I am a guy who enjoys math, computer science, sarcasm, and physical activities. Without going into too much detail about myself, if you want someone to talk math and CS with, you need someone to play Frisbee with, you want to go running with someone, or you just want to share a joke with someone, I’m your man.

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Avatar Intro: Jenna Ellis

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Jenna Ellis | No Comments

Hi I’m Jenna! I’m from Gallatin County in Northern Kentucky, and I originally went to Gallatin Co. HS. When I first came to Gatton, my interests were in microbiology. I originally did research with the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program. After my first semester at The Gatton Academy, I became interested in Computer Science. During this past summer, I conducted research in Computer Science with a past professor, (and a fellow senior, Eura Shin) that dealt with the mathematic topic of Knot Theory and knot simplification programs. Beyond school, I enjoy working out, listening to music, watching How I Met Your Mother and Breaking Bad, hanging out with friends, and volunteering to help with activities at the Academy.

The Academy has presented me with so many great opportunities to expand my knowledge, make great friends, and put myself out in the world for the first time on my own. I couldn’t imagine being any other place!

During my senior year, I look forward to getting to know all of the incoming juniors, and helping them make their first semesters here as successful and enjoyable as possible. I’m also excited to share my great experiences at the Academy with prospective students and their parents from all around the state. Gatton is a truly one of a kind community perfectly suited for the gifted students of Kentucky, and I’m so excited to see what kind of fun my senior year will hold!

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Avatar Intro: Annie B. Wetzel

August 18, 2015 | 2015-2016, Annie B. Wetzel, Avatars | No Comments

I was raised in Princeton, a small town where everybody’s name is ingrained in your memory by grade school and you can always count on a quick arrival to any destination due to the fact that there are only two major stoplights. My imagination and yearning for adventure are the products of growing up on a cattle farm outside the city lines.

In 2014, I packed my bags and headed off to The Gatton Academy. It was my chance to break the tight bonds of a small town and to explore a new world where I would be challenged and among likeminded students.

When my mom would call and ask how the Academy was on a scale of 1 to 10, I would always reply, “10.” I loved every minute of my first year. I was quickly immersed in the cultures of both Gatton and Western Kentucky University. When I wasn’t studying or doing homework, I would hang out with friends or binge watch an assortment of Netflix shows (because if you watch Grey’s Anatomy you are basically a surgeon, right?). I met some of my best friends over the course of a year. It is hard not to become close when you live under the same roof. Late night dance parties, cookie pizza runs, and treks around campus became normal everyday life activities.

The Gatton Academy may have the stereotypical reputation in which everyone slaves over schoolwork and never sees daylight in order to master various subjects, but that is far from the truth. I have laughed more than ever, danced more than ever, and discussed truly interesting topics more than ever. The Academy is just as social as it is academic.

I look forward to spending my last year soaking up every moment. I always loved sharing my experience at the Academy with friends and family back home and I now have the opportunity to speak to various students, parents, and others interested in learning more about my school. I cannot wait to begin my senior year and am excited to see what the new school year will bring.

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