2016-2017 Avatar Intro: Jonathan Kinnard

By: Jonathan Kinnard (Hopkinsville, Ky/University Heights Academy)

I was one of those rare kids that heard about Gatton way back in middle school and knew without a doubt that I needed to go to this nerdy wonderland. My mother, a school secretary at the time, and my father, a retired veteran, were both fond of the idea. So I applied and received that glorious acceptance letter in the mail. Orientation, Moving in, and learning the campus were all a blur.

Starting at Gatton, I think, is like eating jello for the first time. You’re a little amazed and a little unsure of what you are doing. Nevertheless, the first day of class went on without a hitch. I actually showed up to the wrong class twice. The second time there was a Gatton student in the class to tell me that I was in the wrong building. “All academics, all the time” was the motto I thought I would adopt. This past year slapped me in the face, grabbed me by the shoulders, and screamed in my ears that I was wrong. I presented on research I did at WKU’s Engineering Manufacturing Commercialization Center. Next was Italy in the winter. Then there was the RIG (Research Internship Grant) during the summer. Study abroad in England was last on the list before my senior year started. I’ve gotten lost in Rome, London, and Bowling Green all within a year. I can’t imagine what the next year will bring me, all thanks to The Gatton Academy.