Hey guys! My name is Kelsey Littrell, and I’m a senior and Avatar at Gatton this year. A little about my hometown, if you look at the far western corner of Kentucky (yes, farther than WKU—we exist, trust me), you’ll find a little county that looks almost like a pizza slice. That’s where I’m from—Marshall County. We’re most distinguishable by our thick country accents, although if you mention it, we’ll claim we don’t have one. I first heard about Gatton in seventh grade when Zack Ryle himself came to my middle school and gave a presentation over it, like he may have done for some of you. I immediately fell in love with it, and attending Gatton then become my dream—a dream that is now a reality.

My journey at Gatton thus far has been an amazing experience. Gatton is where you discover who you truly are.  I’ve taken some exciting courses, my favorite of which is Genome. Participating in Genome, a course that begins with simple digging in the soil and results in the discovery and characterization of bacteriophages, allowed me to discover my love of research, something I was never able to experience previously. I was also able to present this research at the WKU Student Research Conference, which was a really neat experience. My second semester, I was able to take the bioinformatics portion of the Genome course, in which we learned about the bioinformatics systems and then conducted our own research using these tools based on a question we came up with ourselves.

Outside of classes, I participate in Gatton’s Student Y Chapter and GAMA (Gatton Academy Medical Association). I was also able to participate in the Future Healthcare Professionals program (FHP) during my first semester, which I really enjoyed. In my free time, I like to hang with Daisy, the Gatton dog, and participate in the weekend activities. When home, I enjoy shooting archery and fishing.

Since being at Gatton, I was given the opportunity to travel abroad to Costa Rica studying Costa Rican biodiversity over winter term. Having never been out of the country before, this was an amazing experience for me. From watching sea turtles hatch at the beach to researching the abundance and diversity of bromeliads in the rainforest, it was an experience I will never forget.

Gatton is not all about taking rigorous college courses. It’s where you meet friends that will last a lifetime. It’s where you learn not to take 8 AMs when you like to stay up late. It’s where you truly grow as a person. I remember scouring Gatton’s home page before I even applied, reading everything and imagining myself being there, which you may be doing right now. Being at Gatton has beyond exceeded anything I could ever have imagined. I’ve learned a lot over the past two semesters, and I cannot wait for the next two to begin.

Kelsey