People – Page 2 – The Gatton Academy News

Academy Alumni Spotlight: Jae Lee

August 29, 2013 | Alumni, News | No Comments

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Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experience at the Gatton Academy was incredible to say the least.The Academy provided me with various opportunities and challenges which in turn helped me grow and learn as a person.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
The Gatton Academy taught me two lessons that have enabled me to lead a more productive and meaningful adult life so far. The first lesson is to manage my time more effectively through prioritizing on a daily basis while not losing sight on both short-term and long-term personal goals. Given that the curriculum at the Gatton Academy entailed taking multiple college-level science classes with labs and writing numerous pages of analytical papers for humanities classes, learning how to plan and prioritize proved to be (and continues to be) essential for achieving personal goals. The second lesson is to continuously seek out challenges and not to be afraid to try new things. By taking more challenging classes and engaging in new activities, I realized that it is during the time of difficulty and uncertainty that I grow and learn the most.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
Upon graduating from the Academy, I continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and graduated recently with a degree in math. I am currently a first year student in DMD/PhD program at the University of Louisville and will be taking courses through both the graduate school and the dental school while carrying out a doctoral research project for the next several years.

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next ten years, I hope to have completed the dual degree program successfully and work as a post-doctoral scholar at a research institution. I ultimately would like to become a dental school faculty member as both a clinician and a researcher.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
Some of my favorite memories at the Gatton Academy include listening to Dr. Gott’s inspiring seminar talks, playing soccer/tennis/chess with other Academy students, and participating in the leadership retreat in my junior year.

We would like to thank Jae for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed.

By Gatton Academy

Adventure Week: Dance, Dance

August 25, 2013 | News, Student Life, Students | No Comments

[fblike] Naomi Kellogg

At most schools, the first week can be awkward for new incoming students. But, here at the Gatton Academy it only took a few days for students to get acclimated to their new social setting. All week students have enjoyed playing card games, gathering in common areas, playing outdoor sports, watching movies, and listening to music. Senior CD, Lindsey Porter said, “It’s been amazing seeing the juniors start this experience the way I did last year. I am excited to learn more about all of them and see them grow”.

To top off a week of fun, we ended Friday night with a fun filled dance. In-house DJ, Kassy Harris, provided the music selection; with songs by artists like Ke$ha, Taylor Swift, and One Direction. But, as the energy at the dance grew, so did the heat. Students were sure to get a workout in such a high energy and high temperature environment. Junior, Milan Doan said, “The dance was on FIRE”, pun intended of course. With snacks, drinks, and desserts to compliment the dancing, it was a great success.

By Gatton Academy

Gatton Academy Adventure Week: Move-In Day

August 19, 2013 | Alumni, News, Parents, Staff, Student Life, Students | No Comments

[fblike] Alex Kearns
After an exhausting yet exciting Sunday, I would like to announce that the Gatton Academy Class of 2015 has arrived! First, WELCOME to all new students not only from myself but also the other seniors and staff. I hope as you settle in, that we will act as an invaluable resource and help you adjust to the “college” lifestyle. And to the parents, relax; your student will be alright.

After an early start for community leaders, the juniors started rolling in around 8:30. If they were lucky, only 4 or 5 seniors would help them unload their vehicles. For those unfortunate others, they were met with 20 hoarding seniors dying to know who had arrived! Thankfully our enthusiasm didn’t scare anyone off. After the students had checked in at the front desk, they headed up to their new home where they met their RC’s, roommates, and newest friends. Instantly, you could see the life-long friendships forming.

Once the students were more or less moved in, they were taken to Mass Media for a final meeting with their parents, staff and community leaders. Topics discussed included: study abroad trips, a few research opportunities, and homesickness. As the session concluded, parents were asked to say their goodbyes to their students. And after a few tears, the parents left their students to begin their new adventure.

The day ended on a perfect note as Gatton students attended the Andy Grammer concert and enjoyed a pizza party.

We will keep you posted throughout the week on all the activities here at Gatton.

By Gatton Academy

9 Tips to Survive the Academy

August 17, 2013 | Academics, Student Life, Student Success, Students | No Comments

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Academy Avatars

1. Running on “E”: While working on the cure for cancer or becoming the next Bill Gates, don’t forget to get some sleep. You’ll have long nights working on computer science or studying for Anatomy but without sleep your mind won’t be at its best. We suggest a consistent sleep routine.

2. Be Healthy : The Gatton Academy offers many opportunities to get outside and be active, but being healthy is more than just exercise. It’s important to eat regular meals and relax, as well.

3. Hit the Books: This is the part that you knew was coming. Part of the Gatton experience is studying for your classes. If you don’t know how to study, talk to Mallory or form a study group. Don’t procrastinate, it just delays the problem.

4. Get Involved: The Gatton Academy and Western Kentucky University provide students with tons of opportunities and things to do. And the best part about being here is you can try them all!

5. Find a Routine: Getting into a healthy rhythm is crucial. Keeping your mind organized is one of the best things to do. So acquire anything and everything you think will help you stay on track i.e. a calendar, weekly planner, alarm clock(or MULTIPLE alarm clocks….), a watch, to-do lists, post-it notes, or tons of reminders on your smart phone.

6. Use your Resources : The Academy can sometimes be stressful. Never fear! Here, we have a number of useful “academic amenities” that can help pave your way like skilled tutors, community developers, residential counselors, and friendly staff all at your disposal.

7. Take Time to “De-stress”: In the middle of a busy week, take time to get out and have some fun. You’ll come back more productive than you were before.

8. Try New Things:Open yourself up to anything new that you find whether it be food, classes, or activities. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Steve Jobs left Apple and look what he did.

9. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help:Your professors, the Academy staff,and peers want to see you do well just as much as you do. Take advantage of this and ask for help. Office hours can be your friend.

By Gatton Academy

An Atypical English Class (Part 3):Summer School

July 31, 2013 | Academics, News, Student Life, Students | No Comments

[fblike]Hannah Rodgers

While in England this summer, Harlaxton Manor isn’t just a “vacation” home-it is a classroom. Literature class is divided into two different kinds of days: “normal” class days and travel days. For normal class days, we are expected to be prepared for the day’s readings. Typically, we will begin class with a short quiz over the material and some students will give a presentation on their research related to the day’s readings. The same material is then used as the topic of the day’s “round table” discussion.

During these discussions, Professor Rutledge will present a brief timeline of events or an article of history to help set the stage for us to think like real “literary analyzers”. These supplemental materials can include the life of the author, the setting of the story, or even a lesson on the time of its publications. After a few excerpts of the readings, Dr. Rutledge will begin a lecture, usually focusing on deeper aspects of the works like the author’s choice in audience or the well-obscured underlying themes. For A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the class focused not only on Shakespeare’s lighthearted tales of romance, but also, on the dark side of love and how he paints it as both an instrument of happiness and remorse. We put our newly-found scholarly knowledge to use on our travel days when explore England and the places which helped the authors bring these stories to life.

By Gatton Academy

An Atypical English Class: Part 2

July 24, 2013 | News, Student Life, Students, Summer | No Comments

[fblike] Samantha Dinga

After waiting for months to see my friends, the day of the flights to England seemed impossibly long. Going up the escalator and seeing everyone for the first time in FOREVER was definitely the best part of the day. With our suitcases packed, passports in hand, and tickets attained, we made our way to the gate in the Louisville airport.

We had been waiting at the gate for about half an hour already when we heard a flight attendant came on the announcements, saying that our plane would be delayed for 15 minutes… 45 minutes… two hours. So while our first flight should have let us meet up with the Nashville crew, we ended up arriving in Charlotte with 5 minutes to spare before the gates closed on the flight to England. While we were all prepared for a quick dash to the gates, running through not just one wing of the airport, but five, with all of our bags was not quite on our itinerary for the day. Nevertheless, we made it huffing and puffing to the gate where Derick was using strategic stalling tactics to delay the plane.

Once we were all finally settled, the flight consisted of a lot of free movies, games, some excited glances out the window for those who were flying for the first time, and a sadly negligible amount of sleep. After a long flight and a very short night, we went through customs at London’s Heathrow airport and then took a coach from London to the beautiful Harlaxton Manor.

Once settled we had a walk-through tour exploring all of the hidden rooms and secret passageways of our new home. Our first day back together was definitely a long one (about 36 hours by my count), but it was a great and definitely unforgettable one.

By Gatton Academy

An Atypical English Class: Part 1

July 20, 2013 | News, Student Life, Students, Summer | No Comments

[fblike] By Corbin Allender

Ahhh, England! I would have flown there myself in my dad’s car a week ago (if only he worked for the Ministry of Magic). But the wait is over; the day has finally arrived and with it I find that all of my pre-travel stresses have gone away. No more worrying if I have enough toothpaste to last or if I’m going to be detained and arrested by customs for packing some, unknowingly illegal, odd or end. All that remains now is an unconquerable excitement for 3 weeks of amazing sightseeing and English exploration!

My group will be departing the Louisville airport around 4:00 p.m. and landing in Charlotte for a much-anticipated reunion with some of our closest friends/fellow Gatton-eers. Then from there it’s overnight flight to London Heathrow Airport and a bus ride to the beautiful Harlaxton manor! Despite its opulence, don’t be fooled into thinking we will enjoy several weeks of relaxation and luxury. Class starts immediately the next day and from that point forward its go, go, go! We’ll discuss works by the likes of Jane Austen, Emily Brontë, Roald Dahl, William Shakespeare, and J.K. Rowling followed by trips to the very sites where these materials were written or based. It’s only fitting that such an atypical high school should have an atypical English class as well!

The excitement present in every student is undeniable. I can already tell this summer is going to be one crazy experience so check back each week for all of our updates! Until then, Go Tops and to my fellow Americans: Cheers!

By Gatton Academy

Gretchen Walch receives recognition at Howard Hughes Medical Institute Symposium

June 18, 2013 | Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Gretchen Walch, a rising Gatton Academy senior from Alexandria, represented the 2012-13 WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration class at the 5th Annual SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance – Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Walch received an honorable mention for her presentation entitled “Isolation, Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Mycobacteriophages Achebe, MooMoo, Simpliphy and Updawg.”

The meeting took place June 7-9, 2013 at the Janelia Farm Research campus in Ashburn, VA. At this year’s symposium, there were over 75 undergraduate poster presentations.

Dr. Rodney King and Dr. Claire Rinehart, Professors in WKU’s Department of Biology, have co-mentored Walch over the past year and attended the symposium with her.

“Gretchen was chosen to represent the WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration class because she demonstrated enthusiasm, maturity, perseverance and genuine curiosity,” Dr. King said. “She spent many extra hours in the lab learning as much as she could about her phage and ensuring her lab notebook was complete and up-to-date. Gretchen also embraced the collaborative nature of the scientific process and willingly helped her classmates with laboratory protocols.”

The WKU Biology Department has participated in the SEA-PHAGES program since the fall of 2009. The Genome Discovery and Exploration Program at WKU is designed to engage freshman students in meaningful and authentic research that produces publishable results.

Course participants isolate and sequence novel viruses from the soil, contribute the genomic sequences to a public database and address scientific questions of viral diversity and evolution.

Walch came away from the SEA-PHAGES symposium with a renewed interest in continuing research.

Speaking after the conference, she said, “The SEA-PHAGES Symposium was inspiring. The environment and guest speakers expanded my imagination in research. Every part of the program from the presentations and poster sessions to the meals and coffee breaks fostered the wonderful concept of scientific dialog. My mind has been racing with excitement since I heard the first talk.”

A number of additional Gatton Academy students contributed to the work presented on Walch’s poster. Gatton students who are co-authors on the presentation include: Corbin M. Allender, Grace E. Babbs, Barry C. Blair, Carolyn M. Clark, Joseph E. Crafton, Ajit R. Deshpande, Samantha M. Dinga, Hannah N. Graff, Alex W. Kearns, Azlin L. Lewis, Mary-Grace E. Luscher, Patrick G. Osterhaus, Lindsey R. Porter, Lindsey M. Shain, Domnique C. Thayer, Vishnuteja Tirumala, and Connor M. VanMeter.

For more information about WKU’s SEA-PHAGES research class, contact Dr. Rodney King at rodney.king@wku.edu or Dr. Claire Rinehart at claire.rinehart@wku.edu.

By Gatton Academy

5Q Alumni: Nilesh Sahi

February 28, 2013 | 5Q, Alumni, News | No Comments

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Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
I was fortunate to be a part of the first class at the Academy. It was truly a unique experience that helped me academically and professionally. The Academy helped me to transition from high school to college with the support of the residential counselors, faculty, and staff. I was able to participate in a plethora of extracurricular activities such as research, clubs, and intramural sports that helped me grow both academically and socially.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
The Academy helped me to build strong relationships and friendships. No matter how far away we are from each other or where we are in our academic and professional lives, we still take time out of our schedules to get together and have fun. On a more academic level, my experiences at the Academy helped me to enhance my time management skills. I was able to efficiently determine when I needed to study and when I could have fun.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a double major in Biology and Chemistry. I have just completed my first semester of graduate school in Biotechnology at Columbia University in the City of New York.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
I have realized after coming to Columbia University that there are so many paths and intriguing opportunities out there. From groundbreaking research to healthcare, and even biotechnology start-ups, I know I will be doing something exciting after I earned my degree. For me, as long as I work to make society a better place, I will have achieved something.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
I think my favorite memories at the Academy were when I used to go to DUC for dinner with my friends. Those were the times when we would get together and reflect on the classes for the day.

We would like to thank Nilesh for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Rebecca Morgan

February 10, 2013 | 5Q, Alumni, News | No Comments

[fblike]Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experiences at the Gatton Academy included running a half-marathon and completing a sprint triathlon with the Gatton team, physics “study parties”, and growing as a community with my peers.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
Being in a community of individuals seeking to do well in school helped me to grow academically and to develop stronger study skills. I also learned the importance of having a community of friends to grow with academically and personally.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
I am now a senior at Western Kentucky University graduating in May 2013 with degrees in Biochemistry and Religious Studies. Over the past 2 years, I have been very active in the Brothers Big Sisters mentoring my 12-year old sister, Dora. Also, I have been blessed with the ability to serve on two mission trip team: one to serve at orphanages in Honduras (winter 2010/2011) and the other to serve in a medical clinic in Kenya (summer 2012). Currently, I am Discipleship Cluster Leader at the Baptist Campus Ministry at WKU and work at the Gatton Academy as a desk clerk.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
I aspire to go to Berlin for a 2-year mission trip working with an organization that seeks to end sex-trafficking. After that, I plan to return to Kentucky to work on both a Masters in Theology and a degree in Osteopathic Medicine becoming a pediatrician. Ultimately, I hope to become a medical missionary to serve wherever God leads me to go and to serve whoever He needs me to serve.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
My favorite memory is from the January (I think) of my senior year. A group of my friends and I went to Hospital Hill to go sledding. During our snow shenanigans, my friend Katie Brown sprained her ankle. Since the roads were so bad and we promised the Residential Counselors before we left that we wouldn’t ask for a ride back to the Academy , we had to switch off giving Katie picky-back rides all the way back in the snow. Thankfully we made it back in time for curfew!

We would like to thank Rebecca for taking time out of her schedule to be interviewed. Next week, we will spotlight Mr. Nilesh Sahi who is currently in graduate school at Columbia University in New York.

By Gatton Academy

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