Year: 2009

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Camille Turner and her mother unpack as the Class of 2011 arrives at Schneider HallYou might say Cate Lauzon has become a pro at helping her daughters head off to college.

If not a pro, at least she’s had practice this week.  Sunday marks the second time in less than seven days that one of her daughters is beginning college—for the first time.  Though the elder is studying at Bellarmine University in Louisville, her youngest daughter Madeline is beginning her first year at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University.

Madeline, along with 65 other Class of 2011 members, moved box after box of bedding, clothes, computers, and other items into Schneider Hall today as Adventure Week began on the WKU campus.  The one-week program provides Gatton Academy students with the opportunity to ease into the transition of life on a university campus while getting to know their peers and classmates at the Gatton Academy.

Cate still smiled as she sorted through another box of her daughter’s possessions.  “I’m kind of worn out.  We’re at the end of a long week.  I suppose I’d be more stressed out, but I’m just too tired.”

Though tired, she is very optimistic about the opportunity Madeline has ahead.  “I want her to really expand her academic life,
she noted. “I want her to see what else is out there and possible that she hasn’t seen yet.  I want her to get excited about all the areas she’s never been exposed to.”

Two floors below the Lauzon’s in Schneider hall, Camille Turner and her mother Carmen also continue the work of unpacking.  When asked what she was most nervous about, she replied, “The work. Just going from the transition from high school to college.”

For many Gatton Academy students, they are leaving behind a traditional high school experience in favor of more challenging courses, the opportunity to conduct research, and making the most of being in a university environment.  These are exactly the kind of opportunities Carmen believes her daughter will have as a student at the Gatton Academy.

“She’s always excelled in high school,” she said. “Camille’s always done well.  There’s no apprehension, so I’m okay with it.  I’m excited for her.  Before she only did research, now she’s doing the real thing.  She’s such a great kid, and she’ll be such a great student.”

Madeline Buhr

The academic rigor is the element of the program that makes study at the Gatton Academy so unique.  For Shawn Kelly, father of Kyle Kelly, he believes it’s the kind of challenge his son and other gifted students need most.  “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This will open doors for him that he never, ever would have had. They need to be challenged.”

The mood around Schneider Hall on Sunday seemed to echo that enthusiasm.  Cheryl Buhr, mother of Madeline Buhr, shared that she was not nervous.  Instead, she seemed excited for her daughter and the experiences she’ll have.  “I’m not really nervous,” she said.  “I’m excited for (Madeline).  I think this is a wonderful opportunity.  The possibilities are just endless.  I know that’s (the Academy’s) saying, but it’s true.  The opportunities she’ll have here are nothing like she would have had in high school.”

For Susan Bowie, this marks the third year in a row she has helped a son move into Schneider Hall.  John, her oldest son, was part of the first class of students selected to attend the Gatton Academy.  A 2009 graduate, he will continue undergraduate work at WKU as his brother Michael begins classes at the Academy.  For her, Adventure Week is about getting students into the right mindset for the coming year.  “With this extra week, students have the chance to get prepared and know the expectations,” Bowie said.

Seeing the growth in the program since its inception only increases Bowie’s confidence in her son studying at the Academy.  “I’m comfortable with it.  I know he’ll be in good hands.”

Even as students make this transition, many see the newness of it as a chance to grow.  For Kyle Kelly, it’s a chance to make a fresh start.  “It’s just a blank slate,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to starting over, a new school with new challenges.”

Life at the Gatton Academy provides students the opportunity to become more independent.  Others look to the possibility of making new friends.  In fact, many have been counting down the days since they received admissions letters in the mail.  “I had a countdown on my calendar,” noted Madeline Lauzon.

While there will quickly be work that needs completion and exams for which to study, students on the whole seem keen on what’s ahead.  In the short term, though, sometimes the hardest part is simply realizing there’s not enough space in the room once the unpacking begins.  “I brought too much stuff,” Lauzon said will a laugh.

Community LeadersThe transition from life in high school to the Academy can be bumpy.

Prospective students wonder how they will fit into the program both academically and socially.  The first semester and year of study at the Gatton Academy brings with it a host of lessons and learning experiences.  As current students grow and return for their second year, these experiences can be shared with incoming students so that their transition is as smooth and easy as possible.

To create an avenue for peer mentoring, the Gatton Academy Student Life Team established the Community Leaders program.  Students focused on mentoring students in their first year of the Academy are selected to serve as Community Developers (CDs).  CD’s are selected through a process that includes an essay, RC recommendation, and an interview.  In addition, these students must be in good academic and residence life standing.

2009-10 Community Developers include: Jennifer Connelly; Jordan Jones, Ballard Metcalfe; Hunter Smith; Elaine Flynn; Emily Hall; Justin Jatczak; Sean Karlage; Anna Walter; May Stulz; Forrest Simmons; and Stephen King.

Students who wish to connect with prospective students going through the admissions process as well as public stakeholders have the opportunity to serve as Academy Avatars.  Avatars are selected based on interviews, academic performance, and personality.

2009-10 Academy Avatars include:  Elaine Flynn; Zac Forshee; Emily Hall; Ballard Metcalfe; Rohith Palli; Sarah Pritchett; Katie Rush; and Ryne Weiss.

Beth Hawke, the Gatton Academy’s coordinator of residence life, believes these students leaders are an invaluable resource to both their peers and staff as they give back to the community.

“The community developers are an excellent resource for our incoming students,” Hawke said.  “They act as peer mentors and role models to our new students by offering insights based upon their own first year experience at the Academy.  This is a phenomenal group of students and I am very excited to have them in this role.”

Hawke added that the community developers, in addition to an eager Student Life Team, will help to make this a year to remember at the Gatton Academy.

“I am very excited about this new year,” Hawke said.  “Our residential counselor staff has a blend of experience and enthusiasm that will provide students with the environment that they need to be successful in and out of the classroom.  Rose Nash and Scott Wolfe are returning for a third year as residential counselors and bring a lot of experience to the team.  WKU Honors College graduates Emily Burns and Brian Rogers have worked with the Academy during their undergraduate careers and are returning in full time residential counselor roles.  Rachel Stewart, Sean Giddings, and Sue Meador will round out the residential counselor staff.  Our Assistant Residential Life Coordinator, Melissa Schultz, brings a wealth of experience and energy to the team.”

According to Corey Alderdice, the Gatton Academy’s assistant director for admissions and public relations, the Academy Avatars play a crucial role in informing public stakeholders about the program.

“Legislators, educators, business leaders, and other folks from across Kentucky are excited to hear about the level of student engagement at the Gatton Academy,” Alderdice said.  “Avatars are a great means by which individuals can learn about the Gatton Academy from students who are making the most of this experience.”

With a busy year and a growing pool of applicants ahead, Alderdice believes the Avatars will have an important role in helping students choose to pursue study at the Academy.

“The greatest concern from the family of a prospective student is what will life at the Gatton Academy be like,” Alderdice said.  “There are no better individuals to share the possibilities available and the responsibilities of being an Academy student.”

For more information, contact Beth Hawke or Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.

Melissa Schultz

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.

Up first is Melissa Schultz, the Assistant Coordinator: Residence Life.

Interview by Ryne Weiss, Academy Avatar

1.  Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I decided to join the Academy because of the unique experience of working with gifted students. Once I interviewed with the academy staff, I knew it would be a good fit because of the dedication and passion the staff  exhibited for the students. I’m also excited to have an experience different than my past experiences of working with traditional aged college students–I hope to focus on providing learning opportunities outside the classroom to bring education to life!

2.  Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I did my undergraduate work at Michigan State University. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Apparel and Textile Design with minors in Applied Arts, Interior Design, and Business. My Master’s Degreee is in Higher Education and Administration.

3.  What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I am most looking forward to meeting and getting to know each student, and being a resource for those students, in terms of not only providing opportunities for education and community service but also in providing help in their transition to the Academy.

4.  What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I think that it is the ultimate living and learning experience. Students living at the academy experience similar classes and have opportunities to participate in activities together outside of the classroom. This togethernness makes the Academy a true community; with the focus being on math and science, it gives students an opportunity to explore their interests with their peers and in an in-depth way.

5.  What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I come to the Academy with four years experience in residential life. I am an involved professional in student affairs, and I believe these expereinces have prepared me to bring intentional and exciting programs that adhere to the mission of the academy.  I am genuinely interested in being a resource to help foster students’ success, development and enjoyment at the Academy.

6.  What is your favorite CD, movie, and book?

Supply and Demand by Amos Lee is my favorite CD. My favorite book is Composing a Life by Mary Katherine Bateson. My favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle.

7.  If you were only allowed to bring one personal item to the Academy, what would it be?

It would have to be my laptop; it keeps me connected to all the important people in my life.

8.  If you and the Academy staff were trapped on an island, who would you eat and why?

(shock and horror) Sue, because she just volunteered.

9.  If you and the Academy were a famous couple, who would you be and why?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie because they are fierce philanthropists, and they seem to be dedicated to bringing active young citizens into the world…. and I am not very up to date with pop culture, they are the first famous couple to come to mind. (laughs)

10.  Is the Academy more like a crucible or the TV show The Real World?

Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’ll go with The Real World! (laughs)

Ports of Call

Eight Western Kentucky University students, including two Gatton Academy Class of 2009 members, will be setting sail Aug. 28 as part of the prestigious Semester at Sea study abroad program.

“Semester at Sea is one of the most unique educational programs in the world,” said Dr. Bernie Strenecky, scholar-in-residence at WKU. He also is the ship’s director of service learning and a member of the Semester at Sea’s alumni board of directors.

This fall, the Semester at Sea program will celebrate its 100th voyage with about 520 students aboard the floating campus. The University of Virginia serves as academic sponsors. Schools such as Pittsburgh, Colorado, Stanford, Virginia and UCLA traditionally send groups of students on the voyages.

“WKU is going to have a presence there and be among the best universities in the world,” Strenecky said.

WKU students making the trip are Carley Brooks, a senior from Louisville; Joey Coe, a junior from Louisville; Lauren Gray, a senior from Franklin, Tenn.; Jennifer Hail, a sophomore from Brandenburg; Kaitlin Hartley, a junior from Versailles; Cameran Smith, a sophomore from Campbellsburg; Caroline Wells, a junior from Glasgow; and Bobbi-Lee Williams, a senior from Portland, Tenn.

The voyage will begin Aug. 28 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will end Dec. 14 in San Diego. In between, the ship (the MV Explorer) will dock in Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Viet Nam, China, Japan and Hawaii.

“Semester at Sea gives our students an international academic experience that is unique,” said Clay Motley, assistant director of academics for WKU’s Honors College. “We have a lot of cool study abroad experiences, but to do this whole semester on a ship is unique.”

Kaitlin Hartley

Hartley will take coursework in global studies, zoology, global music and leadership.  Hartley believes this program will be unlike any other opportunity for learning: “This is something unique to put on a resume and say you’ve been part of this program,” Hartley said. “I’m really excited. I think it will be a fun environment to be on ship with all the students.”

Caroline Wells

Wells will study zoology, global studies, leadership development and history of jazz.  Wells sees a world of possibility ahead in the coming weeks:  “It’s a wonderful opportunity to expand my views on other cultures in the world and to experience things that most people only get to see or hear about on TV or in the media. I can’t wait!”

Established in 1963, Semester at Sea is the only study abroad program of its kind in the world. Using a ship as its traveling campus, students, faculty, and lecturers learn and reside together while fully circumnavigating the globe each fall and spring semester and exploring a world region each summer. More than 2,000 undergraduates representing 200-300 institutions worldwide study abroad with Semester at Sea each year.

Semester at Sea classroom learning is integrated with hands-on fieldwork and service learning in destinations around the world-as many as 12 each semester — where participants gain deeper knowledge of world issues, economies and cultures through comparative experiential study. Participants receive full transferable credit to their home institutions from the University of Virginia, which serves as academic sponsor.

During the voyage, WKU students will be taking classes such as global learning, psychology, zoology, leadership, music, poetry, communication, management, business and service learning.

In the area of service learning, all students will have an opportunity to participate in the $100 Solution, a humanitarian project developed by Dr. Strenecky. Through this project, which is headquartered at WKU, students are provided with knowledge, skills and funds which are used to solve social problems at the national and international levels.

The idea is, Dr. Strenecky said, that many social problems can be solved with $100 not millions of dollars. Last year, for example, a group of students bought a water heater for an orphanage in Vietnam and provided the first hot showers for 45 children there, he said.

Through service learning efforts like the $100 Solution, students learn about the value and importance of giving back to society, Dr. Strenecky said. “We as a university have the responsibility to teach them,” he said.

This fall’s itinerary includes the following locations: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Cadiz, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; Chennai, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Hong Kong/Shanghai, China; Yokohama/Osaka, Japan; Honolulu/Hilo, Hawaii; San Diego, Calif.

For more about the Semester at Sea program, visit http://www.semesteratsea.org/ and http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/upcoming-voyages/fall-2009.php

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jerry Barnaby at (270) 745-2571.

Manny Cortezby Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools

Manuel Cortez  of Graves County begins his second year this month as one of 120 academically-outstanding students in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University. The academy’s goals are to provide Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians a learning environment with advanced opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky. The students have completed their junior year of high school and will finish their senior year continuing to live on the WKU campus and taking courses there. Next May, they will be high school graduates and will have earned at least two years’ college credit hours. Pictured with Manny Cortez are his parents, Gilbert and Desiree Cortez.

Manuel Cortez already had achieved an outstanding academic and extracurricular resume in his first two years as a student at Graves County High School. Then last summer he entered a unique dual-credit program on the campus of Western Kentucky University. What he hadn’t done in his first 16 years of life was to wash his own clothes.

“It was the first time I did laundry,” he said with a grin, on a recent visit home. “So, I was calling Mom and saying, ‘Okay, now how do you do this?’

As classes resume this month, “Manny” returns to Bowling Green as one of 60 academically-outstanding students selected statewide for the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University.

It’s designed to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky.

The students now have completed their junior year of high school and will finish their senior year continuing to live on the WKU campus and taking courses there. Next May, they will be high school graduates and will have earned at least two years’ college credit hours.

“Our math class is all academy students, but for the rest of our classes, we’re just in them with everybody else and even the professors don’t know that we are also finishing high school at the same time,’ he said. “We all stay in a dorm together. It’s all like a family, a little community. It’s a great opportunity. It’s difficult, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun and I’m learning a lot of life lessons and college lessons, too.”

Manny Cortez and Family

“The transition was good for him,” said his mother, Desiree Cortez. “We talked every night on the phone. What I really liked about it is they actually have a study hour and a curfew. The academy people told us they would be the mom and dad. They won’t let anyone come in without our permission.”

“There’s security where your coded ID card will only work in your own dorm, so you can’t go into other dorms,” said Manny.

“And they have chores,” said his father, Gilbert Cortez. “He has his day to mop and to sweep.”

In all, 130 students applied and were judged based on ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, awards, responses to essay questions, and letters of recommendation. Then 100 were invited for interviews with Academy staff members and representatives from across the commonwealth. In the end, 60 dynamic applicants emerged from the review process.

Even as sophomores, the gifted group carried an average ACT score eight points higher than the statewide average for graduating seniors.

Academics aside, “it is hard having him live away from home this early,” said Desiree. “I cried a lot and could cry right now if I think about it because I have to send him back and start all over again this year. We’re very close.”

“We miss him at home,” said Gilbert. “When we needed something fixed with the TV or DVD player, we’d just call Manny and say how do you work this thing? Now, his sister has to do those things,” he said with a laugh.

The program requires the students to visit home one weekend each month.

“I didn’t want to hold him back,” said Desiree.

“The opportunity that was presented to him was too good to turn down,” added Gilbert. “Plus the socializing and self-discipline through chores are valuable lessons.”

“The university pays for almost everything,” said Desiree. “It’s the equivalent of $30,000 or $40,000 as a scholarship.”

Manny said he also enjoys the camaraderie of talented students and tutoring. Study groups provide the chance to hear other students’ perspectives on classroom activities.

“Manny is an outstanding student and several teachers the high school were very disappointed for their own programs when Manny left for Bowling Green,” said long-time Graves County administrator Carla Whitis. “While we knew we’d miss him and his talents, we all knew he would be an outstanding success and would benefit from this wonderful opportunity,”

“We’re very proud of him in everything he does,” Gilbert said of his son’s achievements and personal growth. The proud father concluded, with a smile: “He doesn’t act like he’s 17. He just gets up in the morning and mows the lawn without anybody asking him.”

The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s only state-supported, residential program for high school students with interests in science and math careers and the 14th such program in the nation. More information about the Gatton Academy is available online at http://www.wku.edu/academy/

Via Fort Hay’s State University Press Release

Twenty-six high school students and the operators and founders of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) kicked off the institution’s inaugural year in a ceremony this afternoon at Fort Hays State University, the academy’s host institution.

“We have the opportunity to announce many initiatives and accomplishments here at Fort Hays State University, but this one truly is special for several reasons,” said FHSU President Edward H. Hammond.

KAMS, the state’s premier academic program for exceptional high school students, was established by the Kansas Legislature in 2006. After reviewing proposals from several schools, the Kansas Board of Regents selected Fort Hays State to serve as the host institution. KAMS provides a unique residential learning experience for select high school juniors and seniors.

Hammond said today that KAMS is “living proof that our brand is more than an image.”

“It is the substance of who we are and what we do,” he said.

“Finally: the beginning,” said Ron Keller, KAMS director, who briefly outlined the development of the academy, beginning in 2000 with an idea and progressing through the legislation that created it, the selection of FHSU as the host university and on through hiring a staff and selecting the students in the first class.

“The academy was created out of concern to establish an innovative program to involve some of Kansas’ best and brightest students to prepare them in mathematical and scientific problem solving,” said Keller. ” It is an effort to provide a rigorous curriculum to bright and motivated young people with the knowledge that they will be a part of the future of our state. They will potentially play a key role in strengthening the economic challenges with the state. We are truly investing in enhancing the future intellectual capital of Kansas.”

In his comments, President Hammond, who introduced the university’s new brand and tagline — Forward thinking. World ready. — at the Fall Convocation on Wednesday, proceeded through the five themes behind the brand and related them to KAMS.

“These young KAMS students will give new meaning to exceptional depth of learning, and they’ll do it years before their high school peers,” he said, explaining the first theme, or brand driver: Learning opportunities with exceptional depth, inside and outside the classroom, from the beginning of the college experience.

KAMS students will discover the truth of the second theme, he said: Outstanding faculty and staff who deliver exceptional attention and support. These new students, like FHSU students before them, will find that “our faculty take a personal interest in their success.”

They will also learn that “an education at FHSU involves much more than classroom activities, and they’ll become part of an institution that engages with the larger world,” he said, illustrating the third theme: An expectation of social, civic and professional engagement.

Hammond said the academy itself illustrates perfectly the fourth and fifth themes: Partnerships and learning experiences that bring together cultures, perspectives and thinking from around the world; and Innovation that drives solutions.

“What could better illustrate this spirit of cooperation than KAMS, which became a reality only through the combined efforts of political leaders, business leaders and education leaders?” he asked.

And as for innovation, he said, “KAMS is a resounding example of innovation, and the result will be not just a better education for these students but a brighter future for Kansas.”

Keller introduced one of the two people credited with founding KAMS, Dr. Donald C. Norwood, former teacher, professor and administrator, and Jerry Magliano, professor and administrator at Johnson County Community College. Both, said Keller, have worked since 2000 to make KAMS a reality.

Former Kansas senator Nick Jordan, who guided through the Legislature the senate bill that created KAMS, was scheduled to speak but could not attend.

Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, congratulated the 26 students in the inaugural class and said, “This is a red-letter day for the state of Kansas and Fort Hays State University, to see this happen. You as a class can make a difference.”

“As far as I’m concerned,” he said, “the funding will always be there for KAMS, and hopefully we’ll get it back up to the original funding that we talked about.”

Citing the difficult economic times and the bad news surrounding them, he said, “There’s nothing any more important than our education in these difficult times. This is our future. This is what we need to do.”

Morris had a special message for the students. “One thing I would ask you as a class to do is seriously consider going to one of our Regents universities when you graduate from this program, and once you graduate from there, I would hope you would stay in Kansas and help us grow our great state. We need you.”

He gave special thanks to the parents of the new KAMS students, saying he knew what a sacrifice they are making. As hard as it is to send your children off to college at age 18, he said, it’s even harder at age 16.

“I want to thank you very much, too. You won’t be sorry,” said Morris.

The final speaker on the lineup was Dr. Paul Adams, Anschutz Professor of Education at FHSU, who is also director of the university’s Science and Mathematics Education Institute, which oversees KAMS.

“I join Ron and President Hammond in thanking all the people across the state of Kansas who shared in the vision for KAMS and had the resolve to see it through despite historic economic challenges,” he said.

“Those of us who teach like to refer to STEM,” he said. “That is the acronym we use for the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We believe it is important — essential, really — that we establish STEM leadership and move beyond just ‘knowing facts’ to be innovators and cross-disciplinary thinkers.”

“KAMS fits this niche perfectly,” he continued. “This innovative new institution, rooted in solid knowledge, will lead to economic growth for our state and will provide an opportunity for the best and brightest of our young students to realize their potential. We needed a place like this. It did not exist before today.”

“KAMS,” he concluded, “will provide the four defining characteristics of STEM education. They can be stated very simply: know, do, think across disciplines, and interact with others.”

KAMS provides a unique residential learning experience for select high school juniors and seniors. These exceptional students, who represent urban, suburban and rural communities from across the state, will earn a high school diploma from their sending school and 68 hours of college credit from FHSU.

For more information on the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science, go to the Web site at http://kams.fhsu.edu. To contact KAMS, e-mail kams@fhsu.edu or call (785) 6….

The 2009-10 Student Life Handbook for Gatton Academy students is now available for download.  Class of 2011 students received drafts of the document during Orientation.  Please review the updated copy to ensure your understanding of revisions under academic expectations, graduation requirements, and student life policies.

Many components of the Handbook also apply to the Class of 2010.  Class of 2010 students are exempt from the new GPA requirements regarding minimum GPA; however, they are required to adhere to previously established academic guidelines.

Any questions regarding academic policies should be directed to the Academy Acacdemic Coordinator April Gaskey.  All questions regarding student life should be directed to Beth Hawke, Coordinator for Residence Life.