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Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
The Academy made my last two years of high school more meaningful; it challenged me academically while introducing me to a unique social environment. Being thrown into the Academy together meant that everyone already had something in common to bond over. I made some of the best friends of my life, kick-started my education with 78 college credits, and participated in research, all thanks to the Academy.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
The Academy accented my driven personality making me aware of the new academic opportunities. I loved the research I did through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Michigan the summer after I graduated, but I continue to interact with people who don’t even know that REU’s exist. The Academy introduced me to lots of research and scholarship opportunities that most college students don’t know about. Once I started my post-Academy undergraduate education my resume allowed me to obtain any research position that I was interested in. These research experiences and my drive to seek out opportunities contributed to me getting my dream job.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
After graduating from the Academy I interned at the University of Michigan in the Space Physics Research Lab analyzing upper atmospheric winds before starting at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall of 2010. I spent my spring semester abroad at Georgia Tech-Lorraine and the fall interning at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab analyzing the properties of thermal waves on Saturn. Returning to Georgia Tech, I pursued some great research which allowed me to work with micro air vehicles in disturbed wind fields and lead an inflatable wing design team. I graduated with my degree in Aerospace Engineering in May 2013 and spent a month traveling around Europe before moving to Seattle to start my job at Boeing.
Currently, with my job as a Flight Test Engineer, I have been on several flights testing autopilot and related communication systems on various Boeing aircraft. Lately, I have been preparing test plans for Boeing’s newest airplane the 787-9 stretched Dreamliner. Getting to fly on planes as a part of my job is a dream come true, an example of what a flight test engineer does can be seen here: http://www.boeing.com/Features/2011/04/bca_747-8F_roller_coaster_04_11_11.html

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
I hope to finish my private pilot’s license within the next couple months and start my Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering through Boeing by next fall. My current profession is extremely rewarding and I have a current fascination with the possibility of becoming a flight test pilot. Ultimately, I would like to become an astronaut, fingers crossed on making that happen in the next 10 years.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
Most of my favorite Academy memories come from everyday experiences: running to curfew, crashing on the yellow couch after class, Gretchen and I almost killing ourselves rearranging our room dozens of times, tie dying on the hall, realizing coffee is my 8am savior, and the excitement that came from reuniting after a closed weekend or vacation.

We would like to thank Katie for taking time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed.

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Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experiences at the Academy were the most enlightening times of my entire life. When I was there I was deeply struggling with who I was as an individual and learning to come to terms with things that I could not change. I had no clue what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life, but I knew that I had a strong ability in math and science. The person that walked through the door on the first day of orientation was almost entirely different from the person that graduated from WKU only 3 years later. My experience at the Academy was filled with laughter, good memories, and amazing friends that I will never forget. While we certainly had our hard times, my peers became the family that supported me through thick and thin. They were there and loved me even as I struggled with loving myself. They opened my eyes in ways that I can’t even begin to calculate or put into words. Many of them don’t know the impacts they had on me or the courage that I found in them. When I look back I know that I was in the right place with the right people. The experience was beautiful and one that has forever shaped my future.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
Wow, that’s a crazy loaded question. It was at Gatton that I learned how to trust others and love others. I will never forget the talks that Andrew Gott and I had about love and how it must be the most perfect thing in the Universe. Many of those talks shaped my worldview and have enabled me to become the person I am today. Seeing the love that Tim showed each of us and his family taught me what it meant to be a loving individual, an amazing dad and a wonderful husband. In my classes I was pushed more than I ever had been in my entire life. I learned that it’s okay to struggle and it’s sometimes necessary to ask for help. My classes prepared me for graduate school and teaching in high poverty urban schools.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
I’ve been busy since I graduated from the Academy in 2009. I finished my B.S. in Biology and Religious Studies at WKU in 2010. That fall I moved to Washington, DC to begin my Ph.D in Biological Sciences at the George Washington University. After a short time there I found myself unhappy but completely in love with teaching(I was a TA there). I applied for DC Teaching Fellows and started teaching the following summer. I received full teaching credentials to teach Secondary Biology. At my school I have been rated a highly effective teacher and have held many additional positions both at the school and district level. Last year I organized the first(or one of the first) LGBTQ Pride Day’s in a public high school. It was the first for the District of Columbia. The Mayor attended along with 25+ LGBTQ organizations and 70+ volunteers. The events are spreading this year as I seek to put the initiative in more schools throughout the region with the support of many non-profits and the District of Columbia’s Public Schools. I expect to be appointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Board for GLBT Affairs in the next couple of weeks. Soon I will be responsible for helping to implement the District’s new anti-bullying policy and will be serving on several panels to help make the community aware of the issues that students face on a regular basis. A few weeks ago I finished my M.Ed at American University focusing on Education Policy and Leadership.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
This is probably the most difficult question to answer. Right now I’m looking to either find a non-profit to be a fiscal sponsor for my high school programs or to start my own non-profit. I don’t have any intentions of leaving the classroom but am strongly committed to creating change for LGBTQ students in schools across the country starting with DC. I’ve toyed with the idea of running for council in the next ten years but for now I’m not sure. I do know that I want to continue to change lives by having an impact on the kids that walk through my door everyday. The professors at WKU and the staff at the Academy instilled in me the importance of doing what makes you happy and helps others. The rest will take care of itself.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
There are so many favorite memories that I have from the Academy. I could talk about trying to figure out how many marshmallows I could fit in my mouth with Katie Riley, Kaitlin Hartley or Manny Cortez while playing “I’m A Chubby Bunny”. Maybe it was playing frisbee out by FAC and having the time of my life with Luke Akridge and so many others. Perhaps it was the ski trips where I ended up just playing in the snow because I had no ability to stand up when on a slippery surface. It might be eating so much corn on the cob that I got sick just so we could make a corn pyramid to put on the conveyer belt at DUC. There are so many beautiful memories that I had at the Academy it has become impossible to pinpoint which was my favorite. I think my favorite memory from my time at the Academy is happening right now as I reminisce on how perfect the whole experience was. I was a caterpillar in a cocoon that had a transformation to undergo. The Academy was my cocoon and I have come out stronger, better, and ready to take on the world.

We would like to thank Chris for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed.

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Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experience at the Gatton Academy was incredible to say the least.The Academy provided me with various opportunities and challenges which in turn helped me grow and learn as a person.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
The Gatton Academy taught me two lessons that have enabled me to lead a more productive and meaningful adult life so far. The first lesson is to manage my time more effectively through prioritizing on a daily basis while not losing sight on both short-term and long-term personal goals. Given that the curriculum at the Gatton Academy entailed taking multiple college-level science classes with labs and writing numerous pages of analytical papers for humanities classes, learning how to plan and prioritize proved to be (and continues to be) essential for achieving personal goals. The second lesson is to continuously seek out challenges and not to be afraid to try new things. By taking more challenging classes and engaging in new activities, I realized that it is during the time of difficulty and uncertainty that I grow and learn the most.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
Upon graduating from the Academy, I continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and graduated recently with a degree in math. I am currently a first year student in DMD/PhD program at the University of Louisville and will be taking courses through both the graduate school and the dental school while carrying out a doctoral research project for the next several years.

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next ten years, I hope to have completed the dual degree program successfully and work as a post-doctoral scholar at a research institution. I ultimately would like to become a dental school faculty member as both a clinician and a researcher.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
Some of my favorite memories at the Gatton Academy include listening to Dr. Gott’s inspiring seminar talks, playing soccer/tennis/chess with other Academy students, and participating in the leadership retreat in my junior year.

We would like to thank Jae for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed.