GEW ’09: Academy Senior Rachel Bowman’s Speech at the Proclamation Annoucement

Yesterday, I worked on linear algebra research that I will present at a conference in Banff, Canada this summer. Last week, I received a recruiting call from the army corps of engineers about a scholarship that would cover my entire college education. Last year, I was just another gifted and talented student beginning my time at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Math and Science in Kentucky. Little did I know what I was getting into, or the impact that it would have on my life. Little did I know that it would be the hardest thing I had ever done, but also the best thing I would ever do for myself.

Gifted education is something that often gets overlooked in the average school system. For most students, the high school atmosphere provides ample academic challenge. For others it is simply not enough. Being a gifted student in a traditional school can at times be tedious, uninteresting, and unfulfilling. It is nothing that the instructors cause; it just simply isn’t fair for a teacher to maintain a pace that is past the comprehension level of the majority of the students. It isn’t the fault of the gifted student either, just a simple learning gap, but one that can cause major problems. Unfortunately, the gifted student that is now bored and uninterested is the same gifted student that could be preparing to cure cancer, solve the energy crisis, or become a world leader. That same student who is sitting in a classroom waiting for school to end could be improving the world, and improving Kentucky.

While educators use several methods to best serve students at all levels, there are those rare individuals who are truly ready for something more-more challenging, more diverse, and more in-depth. For one hundred and twenty students across Kentucky, that something more is the Gatton Academy, a program created to serve their best interest and Kentucky’s as well.

I am one of those one hundred and twenty. As an academy ambassador, I often give tours of Western’s campus, and our residence hall, and tell prospective families, educators, and state leaders about the program. Despite the thousands of wonderful experiences I’ve had at the academy, I always find myself a little short on words. The most accurate thing I can say is this: for once in my life, I am the only one defining my personal limits. No one tells me I can’t, that I am not capable, that it is too much for me. Every semester, I make my own schedule, define my own task. In a normal academic situation, there are limits placed on the amount of enrichment you can receive. There have been many days I have even doubted my abilities, that I’ve been unsure of my personal expectations. The strange thing is this: I find that when I set those higher goals for myself, I achieve them. Sure, I fail sometimes, but each failure is a learning experience and gives me motivation to try again. Everyday, I find myself doing things that amaze even myself. Not only have I become competitive in a high school setting, I am even viable as a college student at the age of seventeen.

And at the academy, I am constantly surrounded by people who assure me that I can reach this highest potential. There is much to be said for our staff, who are supportive not only academically, but mentally and emotionally as well. The student body is the same way; it is important for all youth to feel accepted, and for gifted children this doesn’t always happen in the traditional school setting. By living and working in an environment where everyone wants to learn, it enables us to enrich our studies that much more.

I’m sure the big question you have is this: you are funding this program, but what has it actually done? How are we as academy students going to give back to our state? In all honesty, I believe that we already have. Read your local papers, check with your county’s academy students. I guarantee that they are already giving back. Whether it’s being involved in big brothers big sisters, helping promote healthy eating on campus, or doing research that has global impact, academy students are giving back.

And in the long run? The impact will be just as great. Look at the statistics, a whopping 80% of graduating academy students remained in state for college last year. Why? By getting a feel for college life early, the students learned that they could have faith in our commonwealth’s university system. By the end of their academic career, these students will find that there are jobs for them here, and will stay. For those that go out of state, the life experience is good for them, and after seeing the world, they too will return. Personally, because I have been given so much from the academy, I in turn can equally contribute, allowing more people to have the same enriching experience that I did. I know many academy students feel the same way.

Other students will make a global impact. I want to be a chemical engineer and help solve the energy crisis. We have students that quite literally do research everyday trying to cure cancer. Others are monitoring our water supply, ensuring its safety. Every scientist, mathematician, and engineer we pump into society will benefit not only Kentucky but also the nation. This is something that cannot be gained by any other type of program.

But, more than anything, you have done the best thing imaginable for gifted students by supporting the academy: you have given them hope. Many of us felt like we could never truly get the education we needed here. Now this sentiment has changed; not only do we see that we can get an outstanding education here, but know it is one of the best. Sure, there are math and science schools all over the country, but not many of them put 16 year olds in college. It allows not only for an academic growing process, but an emotional one. It’s a risky proposition, but in the end, it has paid off. It will continue to pay off. So, thank you. Thank you for giving us hope, and thank you for the opportunity of a life time. You are changing lives every day, and providing Kentucky with a new generation of mathematicians, scientists, and engineers.