2019-2020 Avatar: Michael Givens

Hi! My name is Michael Givens, I am a rising senior at The Gatton Academy and have recently been named a Gatton Academy Avatar! While I want to tell you all about my Gatton experience, I need to start with my hometown. I have two siblings, a sister in graduate school and a brother who is a rising sophomore at Western Kentucky University. I am from Green County and live in the tiny town of Greensburg. Whenever people ask me where that is, I have no answer for them. It’s just that small. Those who have heard of Green County know it as the home of “Cow Days”, a three-day festival to celebrate agriculture in the local area. I know it sounds strange but only a small town, tight-knit community could pull it off and claim it as a calling card.

I first heard about The Gatton Academy in seventh grade through the Duke TIP Program. I quickly shrugged it off as “nerd school for people who couldn’t make it in regular high school.” I kept that notion with me until freshman year when the thought of it resurfaced and I became hooked. After a year of talking about it nonstop, I finally got the opportunity to apply and did it instantly. I was lucky enough to be accepted as the first student from Green County and then began this amazing journey!

My experience thus far has been nothing short of life-changing. Not only have I been given the opportunity to live and take classes on a college campus, but I have also met the most amazing people. This semester (what will be my third), I am looking forward to the GROWeek and Halloween dances and helping the juniors learn about Academy life. Academically, I am taking two of the required Biology courses, Calculus II and a very exciting International Business class.

I participate in a multitude of extracurricular activities, both academic and community focused. Some of these include DECA, BETA, Boys and Girls Club, and Business Without Borders. I am also a proud member of Gatton’s first ever intermural basketball team to have a winning season: “Florence Schneider Ball.”

Outside of classes, I am engaged in research with Dr. Coder of WKU’s Department of Management. My research consists of finding a correlation between one’s job interest, skill, and satisfaction. I just completed my summer Research Internship Grant where I received a grant to stay on campus for 8 weeks of the summer to continue my research. We were recently awarded a FUSE grant and plan to present in February of 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

On July 8^th, I leave for Berlin and then will meet the rest of my class on July 17^th in London to begin our Harlaxton study abroad trip! We are all super excited for this experience and cannot wait to be exploring London and the surrounding areas. After returning from the trip, I will relax for about two weeks before move-in day.

Gatton has been an extraordinary experience that I cannot wait to continue and help others begin. Bring it on senior year!

Michael