Senior Reflection: Annie B. Wetzel

I sat in the McDonald’s parking lot on Move-In Day with my parents shedding tears for the two years we were about to spend apart. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think of all the things I would be missing out on while I was away. The family dinners, nights with friends, football games, playing tennis. I wasn’t thinking of the new and exciting opportunities that The Gatton Academy would offer. I would now be challenged in the classroom. I could participate in undergraduate level research. I could travel to places I had read about and once dreamed of seeing. I would be forging friendships that would last a lifetime.

It isn’t easy to pack your bags and leave home two years early. There is a lot of maturing that must occur in the short span of a summer before arriving at the Academy. I tried to envision myself climbing the hill of Western, taking classes in a huge room filled with unfamiliar faces, working countless hours at my desk studying, but it wasn’t enough to prepare me to say my final goodbyes on that rainy Move-In Day. I still mourned the loss of the two years at home I would never get back.

Looking back on that tear-soaked day, my parents and I laugh at the time we spent in the McDonald’s parking lot. The Gatton Academy was a life changing and wonderful experience. I can honestly say I would not be in the same position I am today if I had not attended The Gatton Academy.

Days at the Academy pass so quickly. It seemed like as soon as my 7:15 AM alarm rang I would be climbing back into bed to set it again at nightfall. In the last few months of school, I wished the days would go by faster. I was ready for the next step in my life. I wasn’t thinking about the few precious moments the Academy still had to offer. It wasn’t until graduation that it all hit me. I stood beside my classmates and tried to take a mental picture of their faces. I knew in that moment that we were never going to be Gatton students again. We were going to be alums—the frequently mentioned “grandseniors.” Our time at the Academy was soon to be over.

I had the strangest feeling walking out of the auditorium after my tassel had been repositioned to the left side of my cap. I was perfectly content. My entire life was in order and Gatton was largely to thank. Everything I had hoped for as a young girl had come true. The moments I wept for lost time and urged for time to go by faster seemed senseless. It had all worked out as it was meant to be.

I am often asked if I would attend Gatton again if I had the choice. I always say yes. There is nothing I would change about my experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Academy and couldn’t imagine spending those two short years any other way. It has ultimately brought me to where I am today. I thank the Gatton Academy for more than a great education. They gave me true happiness and hope for the future I have always dreamed of.