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Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experience at the Gatton Academy was incredible to say the least.The Academy provided me with various opportunities and challenges which in turn helped me grow and learn as a person.
Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
The Gatton Academy taught me two lessons that have enabled me to lead a more productive and meaningful adult life so far. The first lesson is to manage my time more effectively through prioritizing on a daily basis while not losing sight on both short-term and long-term personal goals. Given that the curriculum at the Gatton Academy entailed taking multiple college-level science classes with labs and writing numerous pages of analytical papers for humanities classes, learning how to plan and prioritize proved to be (and continues to be) essential for achieving personal goals. The second lesson is to continuously seek out challenges and not to be afraid to try new things. By taking more challenging classes and engaging in new activities, I realized that it is during the time of difficulty and uncertainty that I grow and learn the most.
Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
Upon graduating from the Academy, I continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and graduated recently with a degree in math. I am currently a first year student in DMD/PhD program at the University of Louisville and will be taking courses through both the graduate school and the dental school while carrying out a doctoral research project for the next several years.
Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next ten years, I hope to have completed the dual degree program successfully and work as a post-doctoral scholar at a research institution. I ultimately would like to become a dental school faculty member as both a clinician and a researcher.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
Some of my favorite memories at the Gatton Academy include listening to Dr. Gott’s inspiring seminar talks, playing soccer/tennis/chess with other Academy students, and participating in the leadership retreat in my junior year.
We would like to thank Jae for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed.
