Coming into the Gatton Academy, I never thought a tank of fish and a microscope would teach so much. For my entire high school career, I saw learning as a linear journey, I saw conducting research as a way to not only contribute back to the community but as a way to hopefully grow and discover. As I went from professor to professor, I struggled to find something that piqued my interest, I wanted to find something that I thought could one day directly benefit people while allowing me to be as independent as possible.

Beginning my first week of junior year, I began working at the Smith Neurobiology Lab at WKU. Little did I know that from the first day on research would start to become my largest time commitment. I spent the first year spending hours in the lab every week learning how to dissect fish inner ears under a microscope. As the months went by I found myself slowly getting better and faster but each dissection still felt like a millennia. The struggle of trying to stay focused and improving sometimes felt overbearing but I knew the effort would soon be worth it.

During the winter term, I was fortunate enough to go to the Costa Rica study abroad to learn about conservation and ecology. While there I got a taste of field research and relished in the experience. Waking up at 3 am, we would walk the beaches tracking and tagging giant turtles to learn about their population patterns. While the work was tiring and strenuous, I found the environment around me with its gentle coasts and beautiful sunsets worth every minute. As we continued to the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in the Talamanca mountain range, my group decided to explore the topic of carbon restoration. Hiking for hours a day we tagged regions, measured tree dimensions, and battled the heat, humidity and fatigue. Each day we would wake up with a new reinvigoration to go further and do more. Although I’ve never felt more physical stress in my life, the experience truly changed my outlook on the world around me. Returning back to Kentucky I felt more able and more excited about exploring science.

After a year in the lab, where we sought to identify anti-cancer drugs and relationships that could decrease side effects hearing loss, I decided to further continue my research over the summer with the research internship grant or RIG. Over this time frame, I began to further concentrate my efforts on looking at the type of transcriptional changes occurring within cancer cells with the use of a different class of chemotherapy drugs known as monofunctional platinum (II) compounds. Spending almost twelve weeks at WKU over the summer, I learned to sieze the opportunity to lead my own research and to enjoy the company of so many other Gatton students who like me, shared the same struggles and tribulations.

Research whether from the safety of the lab bench and the heat of the microscope, to the cloud forests of Costa Rica opened my mind to exploring the unknown and unfound, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

Elvin

My name is Elvin Irihamye, I’m a senior at the Gatton Academy from Lexington, arguably the best city in Kentucky. Outside the classroom, I love to explore the city of Bowling green with friends and participate in several clubs from Yearbook to Gatton Academy Medical Association (which I run with my sister). In addition, I also like to go down to the Preston center during the weekdays to work out and playing basketball with friends. On weekends, I love spending time on wing watching late night movies or playing video games to recharge before another week of hard work.

As a middle school student, I had been fortunate to have an older sibling who attended the academy. I had seen her transform into a confident and ambitious young adult ready to take on the world. Watching her change as she went through the Gatton Academy made me even more anxious to come and take on the same challenges.

Growing up I’d always wanted to pursue the sciences, hoping to grow up to be able to help impact others around me and maybe even extend our understanding of science and medicine. Coming from Lexington, opportunities to succeed academically were always present but being at the Gatton Academy has given me so much more of an immersive and wholesome experience.

After talking to several professors I decided to start my research career with the Neurobiology lab of Dr. Michael Smith for both the school year and the summer. I began learning zebrafish microdissection techniques in order to observe how certain chemotherapy drugs can induce hearing loss. I later continued this research over the summer with the Gatton Research Internship Grant which funded housing and supplies for me to work on my project. I truly feel as if research is an important part of my academic satisfaction and having this experience has confirmed my desire to continue to pursue research beyond the academy.

In the winter term, I was able to go on the Gatton Academy Costa Rica study abroad trip where we got to learn about ecology and biodiversity in real life conservation camps and projects. While there my group studied the efficiency of reforestation efforts in regaining carbon storage levels in a Costa Rican cloud forest. Our research was able to highlight how reforestation has significantly improved the forests ability to store carbon and even explore the specific species types that are most efficient. I was later able to place at the WKU Student Research Conference with the same research.

After a year of experiencing newfound hobbies, meeting some of my favorite people and truly finding a sense of independence, I’m beyond ecstatic to be here for another year of what I expect will be full of fun, learning, and exploration.

Elvin