[fblike]Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
Being among the first group of students to enter the Gatton Academy, I felt extremely grateful for the opportunity. The Gatton Academy allowed me to grow both intellectually and personally putting me on a path of success as I furthered my education. I am so pleased with my decision to attend the Gatton Academy! It was challenging, but definitely worth it.
How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
As an Academy student, there were a number of opportunities that presented themselves that would not have been possible otherwise. My first international experience was the J-term trip to Italy in 2008. This opportunity sparked my passion for international education and since then I have studied abroad four times and visited over thirty countries. Due to these experiences and others that I had in the Academy, my professional goal is to work at a university encouraging students to engage in activities outside of classroom and around the world.
Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
After graduating from the Academy, I continued pursuing my bachelor’s degree in biology at WKU and graduated in December 2011. Currently, I am attending The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) where I am getting my master’s degree in higher education administration and working as a graduate assistant in student affairs.
What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In one year, I will complete my master’s degree and will hopefully enter my career as a coordinator of international programs or study abroad at a university. If the opportunity presents itself, I might consider obtaining my doctorate. As I get settled into a career, I am not sure where it will take me, but I am excited to see. Throughout it all, it is my hope that I can help students learn and encounter new experiences during college, as many faculty and staff at the Academy and WKU inspired me to do. My aspirations to continue traveling never cease, I would love to have the chance to visit Australia and Antarctica, the two continents I have yet to explore!
What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
I will never forget the feeling I had during my first twenty-four hours in the Academy. From moving in and meeting my peers to attending the ceremony where Dr. Julia Roberts and Mr. Gatton shared words of encouragement, I felt so humbled to call myself a student in this fantastic program!
We would like to thank Ms. Kaitlin Hartley for taking time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed. Next week, the Gatton Academy will be spotlighting Luke Akridge who currently works as an IT consultant at Western Kentucky University.
