2018-2019 Avatar: Isabel Chumbler

Hey friends!!!

My name is Isabel Chumbler and I am beyond thrilled to serve as an Avatar this upcoming school year. I am from right here in Bowling Green and I attended Bowling Green High School. Changing schools but still living in the same town has been an abnormal experience. I left my home school, friends, and family to just move a few miles down the road. Despite this, I feel more involved in the Bowling Green community now that I attend Gatton. One of my major involvements in the community has been volunteering at the Bowling Green Learning Center with GALE (Gatton Academy Leaders in Education) club. I am the president of GALE club and with this club I volunteer weekly with elementary school-aged children. I have had the opportunity to build relationships with these children and they truly have my heart.

I moved to Bowling Green with my family three years ago from Athens, Georgia. My mom always told me there was a purpose for us moving here and she believed it could be to attend The Gatton Academy. At first, I was skeptical, but boy was she right. Attending Gatton Academy has changed my life in the most miraculous ways and I can’t even begin to think who I would be without Gatton.

I entered Gatton with a child-like exuberance and nervousness, unaware of what would face me. My past year at Gatton has taught me more than just academics. I have gained independence in and out of the classroom. I am now confident on how to navigate classes, social situations, and Western Kentucky University’s campus. This confidence is one that I plan to carry with me for the rest of life’s endeavors.

I have been conducting research since my first semester at Gatton. My research is with WKU’s Department of Chemistry analyzing the mercury levels in bat fur. I plan on going into Chemical Engineering and this research has granted me experience that will be helpful in my future career.

I often tell my friends and family that the Gatton Academy is my “happy place.” Now what do I mean by that? Well, Gatton is a place where I am unapologetically, authentically myself surrounded by people that I feel most comfortable with. The people you live with at Gatton are more than just your community, they become your family. The Gatton Academy is where I have found to be my happy place; a place where I know I’m thriving, a place where I get to watch those I love thrive.

Cheers,

Isabel