With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.
Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.
We conclude our series with Residential Counselor Sean Giddings
Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?
Well, I had just graduated from my undergraduate work, and I was looking for a job–especially in residential life–which was very appealing to me. When I looked at the Academy, it seemed like a very unique situation that was right up my alley. It also felt like there wasn’t another program out there that was doing this to the same extent that the Academy was in creating an environment for students to live and grow in. I like to interact with people, and I really enjoy counseling and talking to others, so I felt that a job here at the Academy seemed like the right place to start.
Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?
I went to Belmont University down in Nashville, Tennessee, for my undergrad degree. I studied music for a year and a half, but I ended up majoring in English.
What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?
I’m looking forward to seeing how the community develops in the hall and wings. As the third floor male RC, I’m looking forward to creating a new kind of group on my wing. I’m hoping to make a really cool group that everyone is jealous of and wants to be a part of.
What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?
The main thing that’s different about the Academy is that all of the students live and work together. It would be very different if the Academy students were dispersed across all the dorms on Western’s campus. That destroys the whole feeling of community that’s a very integral part of Academy society, and it makes it harder to adjust to this new challenge. Since we all live together in this wonderful building set aside for us, we’re all there to help each other out, making all of us much more effective.
What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?
Definitely comic relief. (laughter) In all seriousness, I’m hoping to bring a better sense of communication to the Academy and make sure that my guys and all of the other students communicate with each other. I’m also hoping to encourage some exciting goal setting. It always feels to me that a set of goals is just a list of things to do, and it should be more than that. There is plenty of room for this program to grow, and I’m hoping I can be a part of that.
What activities do you use to de-stress?
I really love to play and listen to music. I love to watch anime, and a quick nap is always great for lowering the stress levels. The best, though, is talking to my fiancé. That really brightens my day and takes a lot off my shoulders.
How do you feel about your new nickname [other Sean]?
I’m just going to learn to laugh at it. It’s already kind of stuck, and if I get fussy about it, people are only going to use it to irritate me.
Do you have any pet peeves?
That’s a really tough one. I would have to say that people who refuse to admit that they’re wrong (when they obviously are) really get on my nerves. Also, whenever I’m playing piano, there’s always one guy that wants to chime in and start playing random notes on the higher keys. That really sets me off.
Are you a fan of morning showers or night showers?
I’m definitely a morning shower person. Whenever I take a night shower, I have to completely dry my hair, unless I want it to hate me in the morning. It also helps me wake up in the morning, especially if I haven’t had a lot of sleep the night before.
Given the USA and Europe (Blue) fighting against Russia and China (Red), who would win and why?
Blue would obviously win, because Japan would ally with us. And the Japanese have giant robots just sitting around and waiting for a global war like this. And, of course, they would be piloted by young children that have spiky, bright colored hair. So, yeah, Blue all the way.
With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member. 
The transition from life in high school to the Academy can be bumpy.