In celebration of Gatton Academy students’ efforts to raise $1000 for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort, two staff members were kind enough to get a pie in the face. Academy students are committed to their communities and service learning both locally and abroad. We’re proud of their commitment to create a better world!
Awards presented by the University of Rochester (NY).
Four Gatton Academy juniors have been recognized by the University of Rochester with awards and scholarships.
Sarah Schrader (’11 Warren) has been awarded the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award. This award is given to current high school juniors who have exceptionally high achievement and rigor in the science classes they choose to take and who also have high PSAT and SAT math scores
Claci Ayers (’11 Warren) has received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award. This award is given to high school juniors who possess strong leadership experience both in their school and in their community, who maintain high grades despite taking on challenging courses, and who are extensively involved in extracurricular activities.
Corban Coffman (’11 Fayette) has received the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, which is named in honor of two of the University of Rochester’s most significant pioneers of social justice and recognizes Coffman’s commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues. Students who are nominated for this award have exhibited leadership and dedication to community action, have strong grades, and take on rigorous courses in the humanities and social sciences.
Derek Fox (’11 Campbell) is a recipient of the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. Recipients of this award have demonstrated a strong interest in innovation and information technology and have high achievement in this area. Students who receive the Xerox Award also lead other students to new approaches to old problems and seek exposure to new technologies outside of school, such as pursuing serious work opportunities in local laboratories or industry. Derek will complete a full-summer internship with Dr. Jeff Ward of NKU’s Department of Computer Science later this year.
Along with each student’s award comes the chance to be considered for $7500 scholarships per year at the University of Rochester (totaling at least $30,000 over four years) if they apply and choose to enroll.
Prom. For most high school juniors and seniors, it’s a pretty big deal.
That is no exception at the Gatton Academy. Weeks in advance girls beg to see each other’s dresses and guys struggle to find the right color for their vests. On Saturday, April 17, suites were filled with girls helping each other pin up their hair and the lobby swarmed with parents snapping pictures of girls struggling to pin a boutonniere to their date’s tux. And though we claim our prom is just like everyone else’s in reality it isn’t. It is better.
“I’d say the best part about our prom was the community of students; none of us judged each other,” noted Madeline (Mad) Lauzon (’11 Daviess). “I felt completely comfortable to dance like no one was watching. Gatton’s prom was so much more carefree than that of a regular prom. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at a school-affiliated dance and gives me even higher hopes for next year’s!”
Even Beth and Tim joined students on the dance floor and “showcased a few dance moves that were hard to top,” explained Ballard Metcalfe (’11 Henry). It was wonderful that we could move around from group to group and dance with everyone, it showed how close knit of a community we have developed. Rebecca Morgan (’10 Daviess), Anthony Bombik (’11 Boone) and Sean Stopher (’10 Jefferson) also drew everyone’s attention as they busted a move in the middle of the dance floor.
Just like any other high school we had prom court, unlike any other school we knew more than just the candidates first and last name. Everyone cheered and laughed as Manny Cortez (Graves ’10) was introduced as the guy who has always been on his wing eight minutes before curfew.
Prom court included candidates for Prom Prince: Josh Song, Jake Moore, P.J. Kasinski, and Michael Phillips.
Prom Princess candidates were Sydney Combs, Celia Whelan, Claci Ayers, and Kia Allen.
Of course, we cannot forget Prom King candidates Manny Cortez, Ballard Metcalfe, Hunter Smith, and Justin Jatczak.
Last but not least, Prom Queen candidates were Rebecca Morgan, Jordan Jones, Whitney Antle, and Anna Walter.
It was a tough decision for all of us I’m sure, but the 2010 Prom King was Justin Jatczak (’10 Christian), our Queen was Anna Walter (’10 Boone), who also won Prom Princess in 2009. Sydney Combs (’11 Laurel) won Prom Princess this year and P.J. Kasinski (’11 Boone) won Prom Prince.
And though dancing was the highlight of the evening, it is not the only part. Before dancing began we were treated to a catered meal by Aramark and after prom there was… well… after prom. Students were able to hang out and watch movies or sing karaoke. May Stulz (’10 Kenton) remembers Beth Hawke (Residential Life Coordinator) and Scott Wolfe (2nd Floor Boy’s Residential Counselor) singing “You’re Going to Miss This,” dedicated to the 2010 Senior Class.
They are absolutely right. “Prom was amazing mainly because of the atmosphere. You could feel free to dance with anyone. I love the real tight knit community we have,” Stephen King (’10 Carlisle) said. With the days winding down and final exams fast approaching I know Scott and Beth were dead on, we are going to miss this. A lot. Thank you to everyone who helped put this together for us, especially to Beth and Melissa for organizing everything. We will look back on this night and remember all the fun we had for years.
Geographic distribution for students applying to the Gatton Academy Class of 2012.
The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University has selected 61 students for its Class of 2012.
The students in this year’s class span 38 counties from across the Commonwealth. This gifted group of high school sophomores brings with them to the Gatton Academy an average ACT score almost 10 points higher than the statewide average for graduating seniors.
Last fall, 275 students began the admissions process with 125 students qualifying for review. Students were reviewed based on ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, awards, extracurricular activities, responses to essay questions, and letters of recommendation. Earlier this month, 85 candidates were invited for interviews with Academy staff members and representatives from across Kentucky. In the end, 61 dynamic applicants emerged from the review process.
When faced with the talented pool of applicants, Tim Gott, the Academy’s director, knew the program needed to find a way to meet the needs of a greater number of students. Consulting with Academy staff members, a decision was made to expand the student body to 128 students beginning in fall 2010, an increase of nearly 7 percent.
Gott expects these students to continue the level of academic and personal engagement Academy students have demonstrated over the last three years.
“As we begin planning for our fourth year at the Gatton Academy, I am amazed and honored to work with such outstanding students,” Gott said. “The incoming Class of 2012 once again demonstrates the incredible caliber of students from across the Commonwealth. The depth of academic strength and emerging leadership among this group reveals that the state is making a major contribution toward meeting the demand for more professionals in the STEM fields.”
The selected students scored an average composite of 29.2 on the ACT and 29.5 on the math portion of the exam. The highest possible score is 36. The 2009 state average ACT score for graduating Kentucky high school seniors was a composite of 19.4.
“The members of the Gatton Academy’s Class of 2012 have demonstrated they are ready for a greater academic challenge,” said Corey Alderdice, the Academy assistant director for admissions and public relations. “They will bring to WKU a variety of passions and abilities. Our goal will be to sharpen those skills as they grow and mature both academically and socially. Their experiences will be the flagstone in their pursuit to lead Kentucky in the 21st century.”
The incoming class includes students from the following counties: Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Bullitt, Calloway, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, Graves, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Logan, Madison, Mercer, Montgomery, Nelson, Oldham, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Simpson, Todd, Warren, Wayne and Whitley.
Students from eight new counties were admitted to the Gatton Academy this year.
This year, eight counties had students admitted to the Gatton Academy for the first time: Breathitt, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Montgomery, Rockcastle, Russell and Todd.
To date, the Gatton Academy has admitted students from 95 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
The goals of the Gatton Academy are 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. Moreover, the Gatton Academy assists in preparing Kentucky to compete in a knowledge-based economy by increasing the number of scientists and engineers who live and work in the state.
Students will finish their junior and senior years of high school living in Schneider Hall and taking courses offered by WKU. At the end of their two-year course of study, they will graduate from high school and have earned at least 60 college credit hours.
The Academy provides a rich living/learning environment designed specifically for academically talented adolescent students that features clubs, organizations and community service. Additionally students are able to participate in advanced research with WKU faculty members. Research conducted during students’ time at the Gatton Academy has been honored in the nationally competitive Siemens Competition, Intel Science Talent Search, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, and the Department of Defense Science, Math, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship Program.
The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s only state-supported, residential program for high school students with interests in advanced science and math careers and one of sixteen such programs in the nation. In 2009, Newsweek magazine honored the Academy as one of 16 “Public Elite” American high schools.
More information about the Gatton Academy is available online at http://www.wku.edu/academy/.
Students selected for the Gatton Academy Class of 2012
From Boone County:John Ferguson, a student at Cooper High School whose parents are Martha Ferguson and Philip Ferguson; Samantha Hawtrey, a student at Ryle High School whose parents are Claire Hawtrey and Thomas Hawtrey; Lori Lovell, a student at Boone County High School whose parents are Sarah Lovell and Joseph Lovell; and Daniel Dilger, a student at Ryle High School whose parents are Tonya Dilger and Johannes Dilger.
From Bourbon County: Brandon Farmer, a student at Bourbon County High School whose parents are Lisa Farmer and Charles Farmer.
From Boyd County: Curtlyn Kramer, a student at Paul G. Blazer High School whose parents are Betty Rice-Kramer and Curtis Kramer; and Jessica Farrell, a student at Boyd County High School whose parents are Annette Farrell and David Farrell.
From Boyle County: Lukas Missik, a student at Boyle County High School whose parents are Christine Missik and John Missik.
From Breathitt County: Hunter Noble, a student at Breathitt County High School whose parents are Cindy Noble and Gregory Noble.
From Bullitt County: Layne Webb, a student at Bullitt East High School whose parents are Judith Webb and Kevin Webb; Alex Gutierrez, a student at Bullitt East High School whose parents are Bobbi Gutierrez and Leroy Gutierrez; and Anthony Gutierrez, a student at Bullitt East High School whose parents are Bobbi Gutierrez and Leroy Gutierrez.
From Calloway County: Hannah Miller, a student at Murray High School whose parents are Diane Miller and Jeff Miller; and Hannalore Clause, a student at Calloway County High School whose parents are Joyce Clause and Robert Clause.
From Campbell County: Lydia Clark, a student at Campbell County High School whose parents are Dawn Clark and Troy Clark.
From Carroll County: Luke Yap, a student at Carroll County High School whose parents are Tracey Yap and Winston Yap.
From Carter County: Jaymi Porter, a student at West Carter High School whose parent is Jay Porter.
From Christian County: Breck Turner, a student at Hopkinsville High School whose parents are Wendy Turner and William Turner; and Amelia Winters, a student at Christian County High School whose parents are Patrice Johnson-Winters and Tommy Winters.
From Clay County: Caroline Stivers, a student at Clay County High School whose parents are Nancy Stivers and Robert Stivers.
From Clinton County: Ellis Shelley; a student at Clinton County High School whose parent is Charlotte Shelley Bernard.
From Daviess County: William Bickett, a student at Owensboro Catholic High School whose parents are Karen Bickett and Gary Bickett; Leah Wilson, a student at Daviess County High School whose parents are Jean Wilson and Jeff Wilson; and Gabrielle Canant, a student at Daviess County High School whose parents are Paula Canant and Kenneth Canant.
From Graves County: Andrea Eastes, a student at Paducah-Tilghman High School whose parents are Chrissy Eastes and Jeff Eastes; and Daylynn Allison, a student from Graves County High School whose parents are Carrie Burnett and Douglas Allison.
From Hancock County: Jon Warren, a student at Hancock County High School whose parent is DiAnn Warren.
From Hardin County: Matthew Mattingly, a student from Elizabethtown High School whose parents are Jennifer Mattingly and James Mattingly; Samantha McKean, a student at Central Hardin High School whose parents are Julie McKean and John McKean; Landon Wilcox, a student from Elizabethtown High School whose parents are Angela Wilcox and Dale Wilcox; and Cameron Kispert, a student from John Hardin High School whose parents are Jeanine and Kenneth Kispert.
From Henderson County: Christian Jolly, a student from Henderson County High School whose parents are Michelle Jolly and Scott Jolly.
From Henry County: Rachel Metcalfe, a student from Eminence High School whose parents are Tina Stambaugh and Steve Metcalfe.
From Jefferson County: Taylor Leet, a student from Louisville Male High School whose parents are Tila Leet and Allen Leet.
From Jessamine County: Jesse Matherly, a student from West Jessamine High School whose parents are Cindy Matherly and Steve Matherly.
From Kenton County: Logan Eckler, a student from Ludlow High School whose parent is Donna Eckler.
From Larue County: Mary Greenwell, a student from Central Hardin High School whose parents are Neda Greenwell and Paul Greenwell.
From Laurel County: Alexandra DeCarlo, a student from South Laurel High School whose parents are Karen DeCarlo and Anthony DeCarlo.
From Logan County: Victoria Allen, a student from Logan County High School whose parent is Jennifer Allen.
From Madison County: Laura Claytor, a student from Berea Community High School whose parents are Kim Claytor and Joe Claytor.
From Mercer County: Tennesse Joyce, a student from Mercer County High School whose parents are Chantal Joyce and Tim Joyce.
From Montgomery County: Nicholas Zolman, a student from Montgomery County High School whose parents are Katherine Zolman and Mitchell Zolman.
From Nelson County: Rebecca Brown, a student at Nelson County High School whose parents are Susan Brown and Brian Brown; Charlotte Humes, a student at Nelson County High School whose parents are Suzanne Coombs and Louis Humes; and Barbara Still, a student at Nelson County High School whose parent is Arneida Harrise.
From Oldham County: Paul Fleischmann, a student at South Oldham High School whose parents are Maria Fleischmann and Randall Fleischmann.
From Pulaski County: Benjamin Rice, a student at Somerset Christian School whose parents are Jessie Rice and Richard Rice; Melanie Hurst, a student at Southwestern High School whose parents are Treba Hurst and David Hurst; and Aaron Stolze, a student Southwestern High School whose parents are Lisa Stolze and Jason Stolze.
From Rockcastle County: Caroline Green, a student at Rockcastle County High School whose parent is Christie Green.
From Russell County: William Brown, a student at Russell County High School whose parents are Karen Brown and James Brown.
From Simpson County: David Sekora, a student at Franklin-Simpson High School whose parents are Marschelle Sekora and Peter Sekora; and Joseph Tutor, a student at Franklin-Simpson High School whose parents are Tiffany Wilson and Scott Wilson.
From Todd County: Annie Wheeler, a student at Todd County Central High School whose parents are Makka Wheeler and Gerald Wheeler, III.
From Warren County: Michael Crocker, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Patricia Crocker and Scott Crocker; Austin Taing, a student at Greenwood High School whose parent is Yong Taing; Markus Ernst, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Uta Ziegler and Claus Ernst; Jordan Currie, a student at Warren Central High School whose parents are Tamara O’Nan and Christopher Currie; and Holly Morris, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Cindy Morris and Tim Morris.
From Wayne County: Victoria Pulsifer, a student at Monticello High School whose parent is Kathleen Martin.
From Whitley County: Emily Croley, a student at Williamsburg High School whose parent is Debra Croley.
WKU students have qualified for national competition by placing at the Kentucky Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) State Leadership Conference.
Victoria Bertke, a senior pre-med major from Reynolds Station and Gatton Academy alumna, and Matthew Kirk, a junior biology major from Livermore and Gatton Academy alumnus, won the post-secondary division for CPR/first aid.
Emily Hall, a Nicholasville student in the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU, won the post-secondary division in medical math.
The state competition was March 9-13 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville and gave students the opportunity to participate in health-related competitions and educational symposiums. Students finishing first, second or third in each competition qualify to compete at the national HOSA conference in Orlando June 22-26.
HOSA is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. Established in 1976, its mission is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health science technology education students and helping students meet the needs of the health care community.
WKU’s HOSA chapter is sponsored by the South Central Area Health Education Center in WKU’s College of Health and Human Services.
For more information, contact Amy Wininger at (270) 745-6265.
After seven months of information, reflection, and review, we’re excited to send out admissions notifications to the Gatton Academy’s Class of 2012. The students invited to join the Class of 2012 consist of 61 male and 61 female students. These individuals represent 38 counties across the Commonwealth. We’re particularly excited to share the inclusion of 8 new counties with the Class of 2012. To date, the Gatton Academy has served the needs of students from 95 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
You’ll see Corey show the map in the video. This represents the initial offers of admission. The map, which is featured below, may change based on any declinations of our offers of admission.
The geographic distribution for the Gatton Academy's Class of 2012.
Several Gatton Academy students took top honors at the 2010 Western Regional Future Busniess Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference, including five first place awards.
Each of the nine students who competed were honored as finalists in their respective events.
Students will advance to the Kentucky State Leadership Conference. This year’s event will be held at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville April 15-17, 2010.
FBLA-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world. The high school division has 215,000 members, while the postsecondary division reaches over 11,000 college students. The newest group, FBLA-Middle Level, is showing remarkable growth with nearly 15,000 student members. Finally, the Professional Division has reached over 3,000 members. Over 11,000 advisers round out the group. Exclusive membership and career recognition programs are designed for each division to provide additional personal and chapter development opportunities.
Students honored include:
Rohith Palli (Fayette ’10), first place in Business Calculations
Sarah Schrader (Warren ’11), first place in Business Communications
Thomas Choate (Warren ’10), first place in Economics
Katie Brown (Spencer ’10), first place in Marketing
Cody Feldhaus (Boone ’10), first place in Personal Finance
Stephen King (Carlisle ’10), second place in Business Law
Justin Jactzak (Christian ’10), second place in Technology Concepts
Tejas Sangoi (Daviess ’11), third place in Business Procedures
Anna Walter (Boone ’10), finalist in Interview
Stephanie Davis, a former Academy residential counselor and current WKU graduate student, serves as the chapter’s sponsor. She expressed pride not only in the team’s accomplishments but also their attitude.
“I am incredibly proud of the work that our students have done and the way they represent Gatton Academy,” she said. “Our FBLA students made a strong showing at the Regional Leadership Conference this year, demonstrating yet again that Gatton Academy students are versatile and well-rounded. These students continue to set the bar high for those who will follow in their footsteps.”
Part of the Gatton Academy’s mission is to train students to think entrepreneurially while becoming the Commonwealth’s future leader. Davis believes those skills contribute their future roles in STEM fields.
“Many of our current students will go on to open their own medical practices, engineering firms, or research labs,” Davis explained. “Other students will be managers and supervisors in their STEM fields. The Future Business Leaders of America gives students the opportunity to start learning the skills critical for business success. With a strong business foundation from their FBLA experience, Gatton Academy students will be able to smoothly transition from course work to business leadership. In this way, FBLA is a tremendous asset in preparing students to become the community leaders of tomorrow.
The FBLA concept was developed in 1937 by Dr. Hamden L. Forkner of Columbia University. The first high school chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee on February 3, 1942. In 1958, the first PBL collegiate chapter was chartered in Iowa. The Professional Division, originally the Alumni Division, began in 1979. Joining FBLA-PBL in 1994 was the FBLA-Middle Level for students in grades 5-9.
For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.
