2018-2019 – Page 4 – The Gatton Academy News

2018-2019 Avatar: Rithik Reddy

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Rithik Reddy | No Comments

Hey guys! My name is Rithik Reddy. I was born in the small town of Glasgow, but have lived in Bowling Green since I was 5. Here in BG, I attended Bowling Green High School where I was involved in extracurricular activities such as Beta Club and Academic Team.

The first time I found out about Gatton was in the 7^th grade when I came to WKU’s campus for a Duke TIP ceremony. It just seemed so far away, so I just pushed the opportunity in the back of my mind. Finally, sophomore year came around, and my parents encouraged me to apply to Gatton. I applied, not even fully committed to going, and luckily got in. With some reluctance, I decided to go, and I can confidently say that it has been one of the best decisions of my academic career.

Since coming to Gatton, I’ve made so many great memories, and I’ve come to admire the closeness of the community. My interests have been further clarified and my passion for STEM has only grown. Also, I’ve realized that there are more opportunities than I can think of. One of these opportunities is research. I was able to partake in two different research projects since coming to Gatton: a chemistry project in the fall, and a mathematics project since the spring. The project in mathematics, where I am studying a mathematical model for the healing of diabetic foot ulcers, even extended into the summer with a RIG (Research Internship Grant)! Another opportunity is study abroad. I was lucky enough to be able to go to England for three weeks, where our class studied English literature and explored various cities.

All in all, my junior year was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store!

Rithik

By Gatton Academy

2018-2019 Avatar: Wyatt Ringo

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Wyatt Ringo | No Comments

Hello, everybody!

My name is Wyatt Ringo, hailing from Louisville, KY. I am a proud Eagle Scout from Troop 346, an active singer in several ensembles, and I absolutely love to cook. If you can’t find me during a break, a good place to look is the cave systems of North Florida, as I am an avid cave diver! Though still a proud (partial) alumni of Trinity High School, my amazing roommate (fellow Avatar, Drew Aubry), the caring staff, beautiful campus, and so much more makes me happy to call the Gatton Academy my home away from home.

I first heard about Gatton Academy in seventh grade but did not seriously consider it until my freshman year. I realized just how amazing of an opportunity I would be missing if I did not apply, and knew that Gatton would give me the chance to advance my future far more than anything else would. In the last year, I have been challenged like never before, though I look forward to another great year ahead with yet more challenges to come.

In my first year, I have participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration program and presented a comparative genomics poster at the SEA-PHAGES National Symposium. Over the summer, I worked with Dr. Menze of the University of Louisville for 10 weeks investigating the characteristics of a synthetic peptide derived from LEA proteins, which are involved in the desiccation tolerance of brine shrimp. This semester, I am continuing research in the WKU physics department, quantifying the electrical responses of membranes to nanoparticle exposure.

I am looking forward to a fun senior year, surrounded by great friends, and wish everyone a successful semester!

Wyatt

By Gatton Academy

2018-2019 Avatar: Elizabeth Roebker

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Elizabeth Roebker | No Comments

I am a Gatton Academy Avatar—in training at least. My name is Elizabeth Roebker, and I am thrilled to be a senior this year. All about my life and Gatton in a paragraph: Unlike a lot of my peers, I did not know about Gatton until December of my sophomore year of high school. I am from Northern Kentucky, Kenton County to be specific, and my sending school is Notre Dame Academy in Covington, Kentucky. I am the oldest of four, and have lived in the same area my entire life. Since I went to a private school Gatton was not really promoted at home or something I was even aware existed. I found out about Gatton when an article was published about its success as a unique public school in Kentucky. My interest piqued, I scoured the website, like you may be doing right now, looking to see if hurrying up to finish the application was worth my time or something I was interested in doing. I realized pretty quickly that Gatton looked like a great fit for me, and here I am now.

Thus far, my time at Gatton has been phenomenal. I am taking some really exciting courses, both related to STEM and other more humanities-based courses. This semester I am taking my fourth year of Spanish, a really interesting public health class, and a business class along with the standard Gatton biology and math classes. I love having the freedom to choose classes that really interest me and schedule my day the way I work best. As a night owl, for me this means no 8 AMs for the first time in my life!

Since my first semester at Gatton I have been doing biology research with Dr. Noah Ashley on sleep deprivation in mice and zebra finches. Research has been a major aspect of my high school education, both at Gatton and at my sending school. In fact, it was probably the most compelling aspect of Gatton for me. At Notre Dame I took a science research course that required me to complete at least 144 hours of independent science research to be presented at at least two different conferences. Research at Gatton has been just as instructive, but also very different from research at the high school level. In high school I came up with the idea and grew the project from start to finish, whereas here at Gatton students find a project or professor they are interested in and then can work on their own project under that professor if desired later. I place a lot of value on both experiences and have learned a lot about myself and what type of work I like and dislike as a result.

I have always tried to participate in clubs and activities, both at Gatton and at my sending school. I think that getting involved really makes a community feel like home, which is why continuing to stay involved once I arrived at Gatton was so important to me. Last year I was involved with Y Club, FBLA, and Circle K Service Club. I also volunteered a lot at a hospital in my hometown and at Gatton’s Preview Days. I also enjoy taking advantage of WKU’s recreation center and group classes.

Aside from research one of the major reasons I had for applying to Gatton was its study abroad opportunities. Before coming to Gatton I had never left the country. This past summer I went on Gatton’s Harlaxton trip with 48 other incoming seniors in my class. Harlaxton was an amazing experience that I would definitely recommend. I cannot believe that I got to spend three weeks traveling around England with my best friends. Not only that, but I got to take a really cool class, Introduction to Literature, and see everything I read about come to life on our field trips. I absolutely loved London, even though it was very hot, and all the field trips from Harry Potter Studios to Stratford-upon-Avon. I am really hoping to travel with Gatton again over winter break, hopefully to Costa Rica to study Costa Rican biodiversity. I have heard great things about this trip from my peers, and think it sounds like another unforgettable Gatton experience.

Elizabeth

By Gatton Academy

2018-2019 Avatar: Isabel Chumbler

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars | 1 Comment

Hey friends!!!

My name is Isabel Chumbler and I am beyond thrilled to serve as an Avatar this upcoming school year. I am from right here in Bowling Green and I attended Bowling Green High School. Changing schools but still living in the same town has been an abnormal experience. I left my home school, friends, and family to just move a few miles down the road. Despite this, I feel more involved in the Bowling Green community now that I attend Gatton. One of my major involvements in the community has been volunteering at the Bowling Green Learning Center with GALE (Gatton Academy Leaders in Education) club. I am the president of GALE club and with this club I volunteer weekly with elementary school-aged children. I have had the opportunity to build relationships with these children and they truly have my heart.

I moved to Bowling Green with my family three years ago from Athens, Georgia. My mom always told me there was a purpose for us moving here and she believed it could be to attend The Gatton Academy. At first, I was skeptical, but boy was she right. Attending Gatton Academy has changed my life in the most miraculous ways and I can’t even begin to think who I would be without Gatton.

I entered Gatton with a child-like exuberance and nervousness, unaware of what would face me. My past year at Gatton has taught me more than just academics. I have gained independence in and out of the classroom. I am now confident on how to navigate classes, social situations, and Western Kentucky University’s campus. This confidence is one that I plan to carry with me for the rest of life’s endeavors.

I have been conducting research since my first semester at Gatton. My research is with WKU’s Department of Chemistry analyzing the mercury levels in bat fur. I plan on going into Chemical Engineering and this research has granted me experience that will be helpful in my future career.

I often tell my friends and family that the Gatton Academy is my “happy place.” Now what do I mean by that? Well, Gatton is a place where I am unapologetically, authentically myself surrounded by people that I feel most comfortable with. The people you live with at Gatton are more than just your community, they become your family. The Gatton Academy is where I have found to be my happy place; a place where I know I’m thriving, a place where I get to watch those I love thrive.

Cheers,

Isabel

By Gatton Academy

2018-2019 Avatar: Sasha Sairajeev

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Sasha Sairajeev | No Comments

Hello everyone!

My name is Sasha Sairajeev and I am an avatar for the 2018-19 school year. Since my interview day back in March of 2017, I knew that if I were chosen to be a part of the Gatton Academy, being an avatar would be one of my many dream accomplishments for the next two years. I was inspired by the avatars that helped lug my overly packed suitcase all the way to the first floor and by the avatars who made one of the most stressful days of my life run as smoothly as possible. To be selected to be a part of such an impactful leadership team is a dream come true and I hope that one day, I can serve as an inspiration for the future Gattons to come. Unfortunately though, as move-in day prevails, I lack the upper body strength to truly fulfill the role of the avatars that once helped me carry my fridge into Room 154.

To tell you a little bit about myself, I am from the great capital city known as Frankfort, Kentucky. Frankfort is the kind of city that is typically grouped together with the big cities of the Commonwealth such as Lexington and Louisville but in reality, encompasses all the values of a small-town city. Growing up, I had always been interested in math and science, which I explored through extracurricular activities such as Governor’s Cup as well as being guided by my genuine curiosity. My eagerness to learn more led me to biology and medicine, which I fell in love with immediately. Alongside this, I had always loved public speaking and engaging in leadership-related activities. I knew that being a physician encompassed both of my passions and I began to pursue my dream throughout high school. That is how I stumbled across The Gatton Academy: a means to begin my long journey to become a doctor.

My many experiences at the Gatton Academy have taught me to embrace my individualism and truly discover who I am. I came into Gatton knowing that I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. At this point in time, my career goals remain the same but my passion for medicine and blossomed and diversified thanks to the many opportunities I’ve received while being here. Over the summer, through my Gatton Research Internship Grant (RIG), I researched the effect of various blood pressure drugs on mice subjected to sleep fragmentation. To be able to perform surgical procedures and garner various advanced laboratory skills is a dream come true. Furthermore, I studied abroad in England through the Harlaxton program, where I received credit for English 200 while also making a lifetime-worth of memories with my best friends.

I look forward to representing the Class of 2019, my hometown of Frankfort, my family, and of course, the Gatton Academy to the best of my ability throughout my term of being an avatar. Senior year? Bring it on.

Sasha

By Gatton Academy

2018-2019 Avatar: Alex Stewart

August 31, 2018 | 2018-2019, Alex Stewart, Avatars | 1 Comment

Hello! My name is Alexander Stewart, but I usually just go by Alex. I’m from the small town of Morehead, Kentucky. I learned about Gatton from one of my friends a grade ahead of me that attended the academy. He gave it glowing praise, and I decided that I needed to see what the school had to offer. My family and I attended the last preview day before my classes’ application window closed. The talks of study abroad and research piqued my interest because they were things that I wasn’t going to be able to do to if I stayed in my hometown. There was also a feeling of openness and sincerity when the students did their panel and talked with me on the tour that removed any apprehensions I’d had about applying. After the preview day, I buckled down and finished my application, and the rest is history.

In coming to Gatton, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do some of the things I’d done at my high school. Theatre and band were two of the activities that I had to give up because I felt there wasn’t enough time to dedicate myself to them. There were always other things that took their place, though. Instead of working in the tech booth at the back of the theatre, I was doing research in a biology laboratory. Instead of playing trumpet in the band, I was staying up late playing guitar hero with the guys on my floor (maybe not really a good replacement, but I was able to build a tight-knit community with everyone on the floor, which helped a lot later). That’s not to say that I couldn’t have continued those activities; I just chose to try some new ones.

The thing that I’ve enjoyed the most at Gatton has to be the research that I’ve done. My first year, I participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program (GDEP). The program is a yearlong experience where the first semester consists of isolating and characterizing a bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacteria) from an environmental sample, and the second semester consists of the annotation of a bacteriophage genome. GDEP was my first ever experience with research and a research lab, so it was an incredible learning exercise. During the second half of GDEP, I wanted to do more research, so I helped with a project in Dr. Noah Ashley’s lab that dealt with zebra finches’ immune response to sleep deprivation. The summer brought the end of GDEP and my research with Dr. Ashley, but I wanted more. The first eight weeks of my summer were spent on research my Research Internship Grant (RIG) where I studied bacteriophage structure with Dr. Claire Rinehart.

After my RIG ended, I had about a week before I left the country for the first time for Gatton’s Harlaxton study abroad program. Before the trip, I fell in love with Wuthering Heights and getting to go to the moors and see what inspired the book was the best. London was very fast-paced and I was busy sightseeing for the entire week that we spent there. Harlaxton Manor and the trips that we took while we were there were much more relaxed and leisurely. Being in England and studying the literature that came out of it rekindled my interest in reading and was just an all-around incredible time.

I may have rambled a little bit, but I think it was necessary to encompass (almost) everything that I’ve done and seen at Gatton. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Alex

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 22: The Flight(s) Home

August 13, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Rithik Reddy, Study Abroad | No Comments

Wow, it’s all over.

21 days filled with amazing experiences such as exploring the amazing city of London, learning English, and ordering late-night takeout has finally come to an end.

Today at 4 AM, all 49 of us finished packing the last bits of our luggage and dragged our suitcases downstairs. We loaded them onto a coach, had a bit of conversation for 15 minutes, and then fell asleep for the next 3 hours. When we woke up, we had arrived at the Manchester airport. After checking in our bags, eating a meal, and waiting for another hour, we boarded an 8-hour flight to Atlanta.

During the plane ride, we students mainly tried to relax by enjoying movies and by getting some much-needed sleep, but there was an interesting event that went on in the plane. A flight attendant said there would be a prize for the passenger who guesses the combined ages of the crew. This was just a lighthearted event trying to spice up the flight, but some people furiously tried to win. However, Paul Portmann, a fellow student, just threw his hands up in the air and guessed a random number. But, when the results were announced, we were all surprised to learn that his guess ended up being only 1 year from the correct answer! For this, he won a prize. The prize, funnily enough, was a bottle of wine. Paul, of course, couldn’t accept it since he is only 17, so he settled for some chocolates.

The rest of the day wasn’t nearly as eventful. After touching down in Atlanta, we dragged our weary bodies from the plane, picked up our luggage, and waited for our next flight to Louisville. On this flight, most of us slept or listened to music, as it was only 50 minutes. When we got off, we picked up our luggage and greeted our families. We said our goodbyes to our friends, still wanting to spend more time with them in England, but also ready to go home.

Rithik

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 21: Final Exam and Free Time

August 8, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Shay Moore, Study Abroad | No Comments

Wow, I can’t believe today was our last day at Harlaxton! Time has flown by so fast. Pretty soon, we’ll be waking up at 4:30 to get on the coach and head to the airport. These past three weeks have been an amazing experience and I’m so glad I went, and I’m sure all of my classmates would say the same.

Today was our last day, meaning it was also finals day. We all stayed up studying last night, preparing for our test in the morning. The final consisted of three parts: the first part consisted of 70 multiple choice questions about poetry, the second part asked us to analyze a poem, and the third part wanted us to write an essay about three of the places we had been to while apart from the group. We all got up and went down to the classroom at 9 to take the final, and as we each got done, we turned in our test and left class. Most of us either went to lunch or went straight back to bed after the exam. Once everybody was done, we all started getting together with our friends to see what we wanted to do on our last day.

For my last day, I got together with a group of friends and rode a train to Nottingham, where we spent most of the day. We went on a tour of the caves of Nottingham, which are all manmade and have been dug over the past several hundred years. After our tour, we walked through town and stopped to eat at a British chain restaurant called Nando’s. The food was delicious, and when we all got done, we headed to the train station to ride back to Harlaxton.

Once we got back to Harlaxton, the group separated and we all went and did our own thing. A couple of us, myself included, walked around Harlaxton, exploring the grounds. We did this for a couple hours before it was time to head back inside and finish packing up our things. Then we all headed to bed to prepare for the long coach ride and flights in the morning. I believe I’m speaking for all of us when I say we wished we could stay longer, but at the same time, we were exhausted and ready to come home and see our families. Harlaxton has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m sure we’ll all cherish forever.

Shay

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 20: Class and Free Time

August 6, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Study Abroad, Trivan Menezes | No Comments

I awoke this morning with one thing on my mind: the final exam tomorrow. But I’m sure you all would not want to hear about a day spent learning in class and studying content, because I know I wouldn’t. So I’ll summarize what actually happened today, but I’ll then reminisce on the trip as a whole.

I’ll cut to the chase. The morning was spent in class reviewing poetry content and learning about T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” and Philip Larkin’s poems. Class ended, and I spent most of the remainder of the day studying for our final exam tomorrow. I took a few breaks for absolutely necessary items, such as eating, going to the gym, and walking around the manor to enjoy its aesthetic features. I eventually gave in to sleep at quite a late hour, as I was preoccupied by spending some quality time [reviewing poetry content] with my dude, Jackson Chumbler.

Well that’s the extent of what I was assigned to write, so with that, here’s a monologue that you didn’t know you needed until you read half of this random blog post.

Let me just say that these past three weeks in England have been legendary, not in the sense that I achieved all I sought for, but in the sense that this trip has emphasized the importance and beauty of spontaneity. In setting up a trip, many tend to emphasize the destinations that are well known, for those seem to be the things that people desire to see. But is that really what travelling is? On multiple occasions over the last few weeks, visiting destinations that society has deemed ‘famous’ has been drastically outweighed by the spontaneous wanderings-about which have led a few of my acquaintances and I to realize fresh perspectives and feelings of immersion. It’s almost as if most people trade the very causes that make us unique—experiential diversity—for status-quo episodes that only monotonize who we are as humans. Anyone can see the London Bridge, but how many people are willing to leisurely stroll through the residential zones of London and just take in the city for what it is? Famous travelers, from Anthony Bourdain to Ibn Battuta, are not known for simply showing off that they have visited places, but they are known for sharing the rich perspectives they gained during their journeys across the world. Everyone’s experience in any given location is different, and I have realized that that’s the beauty of travel. I can easily photo-shop myself into a cliché picture of a famous landmark, but it is impossible for me to photo-shop myself into someone else’s experience.

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” -Ibn Battuta

Trivan

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 19: Newstead Abbey

August 3, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Georgia Hoffman, Study Abroad | 3 Comments

At 9 am, my classmates and I retrieved our sack lunches and trudged to the coach. We settled into our seats, something we have gotten used to as our group has spent ample amounts of time traveling around England. Some students bobbed their heads and mouthed the words of their favorite songs, others prepared for our upcoming quiz and final, but most closed their eyes and dozed in and out of consciousness.

Our class arrived at Newstead Abbey and drowsily departed the coach around 10:15. The leaders split us into two groups and we began our tours of the abbey promptly at 10:30. I studied the ornate woodwork and detailed paintings of the house as our guide told of Lord Byron’s time there. She told us tales of the scandalous love affairs, odd furry companionships (including a pet bear), and numerous ghost encounters that occurred during Byron’s time at the abbey. Once our tour finished, around 11:45, we were free to roam the grounds of Newstead Abbey.

The weather was a comfortable 75 degrees; large fluffy clouds dulled the sun’s brilliant rays and a light breeze blew as I sat down to eat my familiar bagged lunch. Then, I set out to explore the numerous gardens. A group of friends and I walked by a glassy, green pond and fed the remnants of our meals to a flock of ducks, then continued to the Japanese Garden. We wandered through forests of lush green plants and carefully navigated stepping stones over small streams that riddled the gardens. Some students spent hours in the gardens, others sat down in lawn chairs and napped in the abbey’s courtyard.

Around 2:30, we migrated back to the coach and resumed our bus activities. Over the next hour, our professor led a discussion about the similarities and differences that we have noticed since we have been in England. When we reached the manor, students stumbled off of the coach. We had free time for the remainder of the day. As our schedule has been extremely busy since our departure from the United States, most students used their free time to catch up on lost sleep. After a dinner of beef stew and a hearty slew of vegetables, I went to the junior common room where we played cards and snooker.

Eventually, a large group of us (including most of the chaperones) made our way out to the lawn to play a few games of croquet. Gatton students may not be competitive about coursework, but when it comes to croquet, we don’t mess around. The sounds of competitive banter and laughter resonated through the grounds as we attempted the new sport. This continued until 9:45, then everyone went their separate ways. Some of my classmates studied, others ordered pizza, and the rest prepared for bed. After our 10:30 curfew, my three roommates and I discussed our upcoming college applications and then settled in for the night.

This study abroad has been amazing! I love England and the literature we have been studying. This trip has been a great learning experience because students are encouraged to explore with a small group of peers, rather than being led by an adult. Consequently, my classmates and I have developed independence and formed new friendships amongst ourselves. This journey has drawn our class closer together and will have a lasting impact on our community. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and plan to study abroad again in the future.

Georgia

By Gatton Academy

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Category: 2018-2019