Gatton Academy Selects Class of 2013, Expands Reach to 103 Counties

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has selected 73 students for its Class of 2013.

The students in this year’s class span 46 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.

• List of students selected for Gatton Academy Class of 2013

Last fall, 280 students began the admissions process with 171 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, 102 candidates were invited for interviews with Academy staff members and representatives from across Kentucky. In the end, 73 dynamic applicants emerged from the review process.

Tim Gott, director of the Gatton Academy, expects these students to continue the level of academic and personal engagement Academy students have demonstrated over the last four years.

“With our fifth recruited class, we continue to see the depth of ability and passion of students from across the state,” Gott said. “This cohort demonstrates, once again, that the Commonwealth can compete globally in producing young men and women who will have a major impact in STEM fields.”

The selected students scored an average composite of 28.9 on the ACT and 28.7 on the math portion of the exam. The highest possible score is 36. The 2010 state average ACT score for graduating Kentucky high school seniors was a composite of 19.0.

“The members of the Gatton Academy’s Class of 2013 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: Barren, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Butler, Carroll, Carter, Christian, Cumberland, Daviess, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Greenup, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Menifee, Montgomery, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Rockcastle, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Union, Warren, Wolfe.

This year, eight counties had students admitted to the Gatton Academy for the first time: Breckinridge, Elliott, Floyd, Mason, Meade, Menifee, Nicholas and Wolfe.  To date, the Gatton Academy has admitted students from 103 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 that 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 2010, Newsweek magazine honored the Academy as one of 20 “Public Elite” American high schools.

More information about the Gatton Academy is available online.

Students selected for the Gatton Academy Class of 2013

From Barren County: Victoria Cain, a student at Barren County High School whose parents are Tonya Cain and Douglas Cain.

From Boone County: Akhil Ghanta, a student at Boone County High School whose parents are Uma and Koteswara Ghanta; Leonard Ivey, a student at Larry A. Ryle High School whose parents are Jeana and Eugene Ivey; Hannah Pennington, a student at Conner High School whose parents are Jo Anne and Gregory Pennington; Cheyenne Ullrey, a student at Walton Verona High School whose parents are David and Jennifer Hurta and Baird Ullrey; Paige Volpenhein, a student at Boone County High School whose parents are Kelly and Andrew Volpenhein.

From Bourbon County: Erica Plummer, a student at Bourbon County High School whose parents are Elizabeth and Mark Plummer.

From Boyle County: Cecily Allen, a student at Danville High School whose parents are Susan and Mark Allen; Nicholas Fedorka, a student at Boyle County High School whose parents are Suzanne and Thomas Fedorka; Mary Spraggs, a student at Danville High School whose parents are Linda and Richard Spraggs.

From Breckinridge County: William Hawley, a student at Frederick Fraize High School whose parents are Lisa and William Hawley Jr.

From Bullitt County: Erica Johnson, a student at North Bullitt High School whose parents are Sheila and Nathan Johnson; Justin Johnson, a student at North Bullitt High School whose parents are Karen and Robert Johnson.

From Butler County: Alonna Ballinger, a student at Butler County High School whose parents are Denise and Thomas Ballinger.

From Carroll County: Linda Cruz, a student at Carroll County High School whose parents are Luz Maria Cruz and Guillermo Tepetate.

From Carter County: John Anthony Biechele-Speziale, a student at East Carter County High School whose parents are Sherri Speziale and Jennifer Biechele.

From Christian County: Tyler Powell, a student at Christian County High School whose parents are Melissa and Donald Powell; Kathleen Bell, a home school student whose parents are Annette and David Bell.

From Cumberland County: Gabriel Smith, a student at Cumberland County High School whose parents are Fran and Greg Smith.

From Daviess County: Dixa Patel, a student at Daviess County High School whose parents are Jyotsana and Harish Patel; Madison Preece, a student at Daviess County High School whose parents are Denise and Kevin Preece.

From Elliott County: Barry Blair, a student at Elliott County High School whose parents are Melanie and Barry Blair.

From Estill County: Natascha Richardson, a student at Estill County High School whose parents are Antje and Carlos Ray Richardson II; Matthew Ruffner, a student at Madison Southern High School whose parents are Gwen Heffner and Robert Ruffner.

From Fayette County: Samuel Dong, a student at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School whose parents are Lin Qiong Fan and Mao Fei Dong; Lauren Shields, a student at Tates Creek High School whose parents are Stacy and Anthony Shields; Ethan Smith, a student at Tates Creek High School whose parents are Trish and Mike Smith; Alexandra Sunnenberg, a student at Henry Clay High School whose parent is Janet Sunnenberg.

From Floyd County: Wade Vierheller, a student at Piarist School whose parents are Chenzhao and Thomas Vierheller.

From Franklin County: Garrett Barnes, a student at Franklin County High School whose parents are Anita and Rodney Barnes; Sibi Rajendran, a student at Franklin County High School whose parents are Preetha and Narayanan Rajendran.

From Greenup County:  Catherine Sloas, a student at East Carter County High School whose parents are Kitty and Larry Sloas; Henry Uradu, a student at Russell High School whose parents are Rose Uradu and Onyemauche Opara.

From Hardin County: Katherine Corcoran, a student at Bethlehem High School whose parents are Donna Wilson and Thomas Corcoran; Nathaniel Serpico, a student at Elizabethtown High School whose parents Pam and Ralph Serpico.

From Hart County: Riley Askins, a student at Hart County High School whose parents are Deborah Flint and Wayne Askins; Leslie Wilson, a student at Hart County High School whose parents are Patricia and Paul Wilson.

From Henderson County: Ellen Green, a student at Henderson County Senior High School whose parents are Michelle and Todd Green; Alison Jones, a student at Henderson County Senior High School whose parent is Dana Jones.

From Hopkins County: Roxanne Coburn, a student at Hopkins County Central High School whose parents are Lesley and Charles Coburn Jr.; Chiraag Kapadia, a student at Madisonville North Hopkins High School whose parents are Maya and Deepak Kapadia.

From Jefferson County: Lindsey Burke, a student at Louisville Male High School whose parents are Deborah and William Burke.

From Jessamine County: Noah Dixon, a student at West Jessamine High School whose parents are Karen and Charles Dixon.

From Kenton County: Miranda Cruse, a student at Simon Kenton High School whose parents are Penny and Brian Cruse.

From Lincoln County: Meghan Hall, a student at Lincoln County High School whose parent is Becky Eubanks.

From Logan County: Charvinia Detton Kesi Amira Neblett, a student at Russellville High School whose parents are Marvinia Jetton Benton-Neblett and Charles Delbert Neblett.

From Marion County: Anna Hamilton, a student at Bardstown High School whose parents are Mary and Charles Hamilton Jr.

From Mason County: Duncan Wood, a student at Mason County High School whose parents are Patricia and Stockton Wood.

From McCracken County: Eileen Doan, a student at Lone Oak High School whose parent is Minh Doan; Emily Gordon, a student at Lone Oak High School whose parents are Gina Gordon and Kenneth Gordon.

From Meade County: Leah Cannady, a student at Meade County High School whose parents are Leona and Jeff Cannady; Meaghan Dunn, a student at Meade County High School whose parents are Anita and James Dunn.

From Menifee County: William Roach-Barrette, a student at Menifee County High School whose parents are Rebecca Roach and Randy Barrette.

From Montgomery County: Wayne Schmitt, a student at Montgomery County High School whose parents are Donna Cockrell and Hermann Schmitt.

From Muhlenberg County: David Brown, a student at Muhlenberg County High School whose parents are Paula and Gregory Brown.

From Nelson County: Miranda Parrish, a student at Bardstown High School whose parents are Ramona and Charles Parrish.

From Nicholas County: Lara Johanna van der Heiden, a student at Nicholas County High School whose parents are Kim and Arie van der Heiden.

From Oldham County: Richard Cockerell, a student at Trinity High School whose parents are Susan and Tray Cockerell; Thomas Seibold, a student at South Oldham High School whose parents are Kay and Dave Seibold.

From Shelby County: Matthew Gonazelz,  a student at Rockcastle County High School whose parents are Wanda and Stephen Burdine.

From Shelby County: Samuel Saarinen, a student at Shelby County High School whose parents are Anne and Timothy Saarinen.

From Simpson County: Jeet Parekh, a student at Franklin-Simpson High School whose parents are Varsha and Ambarish Parekh.

From Spencer County: Adrian Gregory, a student at Spencer County High School whose parents are Amy and Ronald Gregory.

From Taylor County: Jonathan Bailey, a student at Taylor County High School whose parents are Vicky and Charles Bailey.

From Todd County: William Johnson III, a student at Heritage Christian Academy whose parents are Delinda and William Ejner Johnson Jr.; Melissa Smith, a student at Todd County Central High School whose parents are Rita and James Smith.

From Union County: Elizabeth Gatten, a student at Union County High School whose parents are Meg and Donald Gatten.

From Wolfe County: Mamie Caldwell, a student at Wolfe County High School whose parents are Paula and Omer Caldwell.

From Warren County: Meredith Doughty, a student at Greenwood High School whose parents are Valerie Lyons and Robert Doughty; Ryan Gott, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Ellen and Tim Gott; Eva Gray-Jennings, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Judith Gray and Brian Jennings; Alec Minnicks, a student at Warren Central High School whose parents are Janice and Chris Minnicks; Aaron Tagliaboschi, a student at Bowling Green High School whose parents are Jennifer and Louis Tagliaboschi.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (270) 745-2971 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Admissions, Class of 2013