2018-2019 Avatar: Shay Moore

Hey guys,

My name’s Shay. I’m a Gatton Academy senior in the graduating class of 2019. I’m from a small town in Lawrence County, a place you probably haven’t heard of in far eastern Kentucky, bordering West Virginia. I love nature and my dogs, and my biggest pastimes are playing cards and climbing trees. I came to Gatton to explore my interests more and meet people with the same passions as me.

Coming to the Gatton Academy has been great for me because it’s provided me with educational opportunities that I wouldn’t have had available at my home high school. The chance to take college classes on a college campus with actual university professors was something that I couldn’t pass up. The first thing I heard about Gatton that really made me want to come was the Harlaxton study abroad trip. I knew as soon as it was described to me that it was something I wanted to do. I went to Harlaxton over the summer, and it was definitely worth coming to Gatton for. I’ve also had the opportunity to explore my interests and figure out what I want to do as a career. I discovered that I like electrical engineering and have taken classes for it, something I would have never been able to do back home. I’ve not had the opportunity to become invested in a research project yet, but I’m going to try to this semester.

One of my favorite parts about Gatton so far is that it’s given me the chance to meet new, like-minded people. My passions and belief systems were not in line with most of the people that I knew at home, which made it difficult to make good friends. Instead, I was just friends with “the smart kids,” even if we didn’t have anything else in common. Everybody here is academically oriented, so I was able to make friends with people that I was similar to and got along with. “Being smart” is no longer my only important personality trait. I have real, close friends that will last a lifetime, and I’m living in a community that accepts me and embraces each other’s differences, not just their similarities.

Before I moved into Gatton last year, I decided to reinvent myself. I was in a slump at home; I didn’t like who I was or who I had been, and I felt like I could never get past people’s perceptions of me to be who I wanted to be. But at Gatton, nobody knew me, so I could be whoever and whatever I wanted. I got the opportunity to change up my look, my personality, and even my name—I went by Shaylon at home. I’m so much more comfortable with and proud of who I am since I’ve been here. I’ve also learned a lot about myself over the past year. Gatton has really been a place for me to find myself and I’m beyond appreciative of that.

So I guess there’s a bit about me and my experience at Gatton so far. You’ll be hearing more from me over the next year, so goodbye for now!

Until next time,

Shay Moore