Avatars – Page 22 – The Gatton Academy News

Harlaxton 2016: And We’re Off!

July 15, 2016 | 2016 Harlaxton, 2016-2017, Avatars, Katie Ashley, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Katie Ashley

And we’re off! Our first day of adventure is complete. We met yesterday (Thursday) morning at the Louisville Airport, had a quick layover in Atlanta, and arrived in London this morning (Friday)!

Our group was split into two departing flights from Louisville, and even with the the long lines in the airport, our second group made the connecting flight in Atlanta. I was in the second group and we arrived at the gate just in time, as they had just started boarding our zone. I even had my roommate, who was on the first flight to Atlanta, go get me food before I arrived in the second group, so I could eat a good dinner and skip the delicious plane food. Despite all of the stresses of travel and its tiresome nature, we arrived in London with an eagerness to begin our quest.

I have been anticipating this trip for quite some time now and am sure the other students have similar excitements. We are all ready to begin our three-week journey with almost all of our rising seniors. Over these next few weeks we will be studying English Literature. We will reinforce what we learn in the classroom with Professor Rutledge with field trips all over England that relate to the author’s works we are studying. I’m sure this will prove to be a very informative, exhilarating, and at times exhausting trip; however, we are all ready to take it on in order to make the most of our time here!

By Gatton Academy

Senior Spotlight: Rohan Deshpande

July 13, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Rohan Deshpande, Senior Reflection | No Comments

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~Winnie the Pooh

This quote is a yearbook staple—it showed up no less than six times in my freshman yearbook, and is so popular that my home school puts a limit on the number of people who can use it. However, before coming to Gatton, I loathed this quote. It always felt so flaky, so vague. It felt like trying to compliment someone, but only being able to throw out generic adjectives that could apply to anyone, like “cool” or “nice”. Maybe I was just an angsty teenager trying to go against the grain of society, but I sincerely thought my alumni who quoted that pudgy, anthropomorphic bear were looking back on their high school experience with rose-colored glasses. Now, with the glow of my own graduation fading away, I can recognize how true my homeboy Pooh’s words are.

If you had to condense this long-winded, sappy story of mine into one sentence, it would be this: my Gatton experience was incredible. The places I went, the people I met and the memories we shared are priceless. On Move-In Day, almost two years ago, I came in afraid. I was scared the college workload would be too much, that “real” college kids would make fun of me, that my peers would have the social skills of an unsalted peanut. Now, these fears seem innocuous. If I could go back in time to give advice to my 16-year-old self that first night, I wouldn’t say a thing. I would just laugh at past-me and leave to have fun with my friends. The joy of Gatton truly was in the journey.

The classes would be tough, but they would be far more interesting than anything I had taken before—they would be on subjects I was actually interested in, and not just something dull to round out the 7^th slot in my schedule and look good on my transcript. I learned that in college, nobody has the time to care about what other people think about themselves. You could walk to Subway wearing pajama pants and Crocs and nobody would bat an eye. If it was finals week, you probably wouldn’t even be the first to do so that day. As for my class, they’re as cool as cucumbers. At the very least, they’re definitely cooler than someone who still uses “cool as cucumbers.”

It’s hard to describe Gatton—it is so much more than a group of smart kids from Kentucky. The stories I have from the past two years would make Beth’s head spin. I could talk about how I almost dropped half of a human brain while handing it off to Jeremiah in our neurobiology class, or how we found an injured, highly venomous yellow-bellied sea snake on the beaches of Costa Rica and our professor picked it up with his bare hands to store it in a water cooler overnight before releasing it. I could spend days reminiscing on my time at Gatton, but my time with those Kentucky goons has come to an end.

It’s hard to think I won’t return to Gatton in the fall, that two years could feel so long yet fly past in the blink of an eye. If someone asked me my future plans, I would tell them I plan on being that annoying guy at work who still brags about his time in high school to anyone who will lend an ear. I didn’t just make friends at Gatton, I made family. I am so happy I had an experience that made saying goodbye so hard.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Jenna Ellis

July 6, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Jenna Ellis, Senior Reflection | No Comments

Even though I graduated nearly 2 months ago, it still doesn’t feel real. I’m still trying to convince myself that this isn’t just another closed weekend, and on Sunday afternoon, I’m not going to drive back to Bowling Green and eat at Panda Express with the family I found at my home away from home.

I have spent the last two years at a home where I learned about everything you could possibly think of; I have expanded my knowledge beyond the bounds I thought impossible to reach by learning not only of calculus, computer science, physics, and biology, but of the ethics of dank memes, the importance of Ultimate Frisbee in a daily schedule, the woes of 8 am CPS, and of turning 120 strangers into my family.

It is incredibly difficult to summarize my entire Gatton experience into a single blog post – to be quite honest, I could probably write a book on it at this point – but I will say that it was the single best experience I have had in my entire life. Through every high and low, I was as happy as I had ever been. During the tough weeks where I had three tests on the same day, and the weekends where I had not a worry in the world and I was simply bowling and eating with friends, I knew that I was in the perfect place; I knew that I was at home, and I had the support of a great community and family behind me, and I was going to be happy regardless. That feeling is one that comes with the uniqueness of a place like Gatton. It is one in a million.

Although I had my fears coming into the Academy (am I really smart enough for this, am I going to make good friends, is the food actually decent, etc.), I have now realized that none of them were necessary. I learned, accomplished, researched, laughed, cried, matured, and became passionate for the world I lived in. I figured out that becoming a doctor was not the path for me, but computer science (something I had never heard of before walking into my CS180 class the first day of junior year) and mathematics were actually my thing. I learned that eating Chik-Fil-A everyday was actually disgusting, but drinking three cups of coffee everyday was totally okay. I figured out who I was as a person, and found friends that would support me in any way possible.

With all of my tears shed in the night before, the day of, and the week after (I know, I cry a lot apparently) graduation, I can now confidently (read: without sobbing-ly) say that I miss my gat fam more than anything in the world, but I am so excited to see where the world takes each and every one of us. We are all prepared with the knowledge we gained in the classrooms over the past two years, as well as the lessons we learned and the memories we made in Schneider, Bates, our homes around Kentucky, and on our trips across the world.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Michael Belcher

June 29, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Michael Belcher, Senior Reflection | No Comments

Two years ago, I was in the middle of my last summer before moving into The Gatton Academy. My mother was busy buying me supplies for school that appeared to cover every scenario from a study session to surviving the apocalypse and I was busy working on my procrastination skills by not packing. I remember being incredibly excited for the change that the Academy would bring, but also nervous about it not living up to my expectations. I struggled with the same fears of social awkwardness and difficult classes that hundreds of Gatton students must have had before me. After two years spent playing video games, pulling all-nighters, playing Frisbee, and hanging out with some of the greatest people I have ever met I look back at myself that summer before junior year and laugh. The Academy exceeded my expectations in almost every conceivable way. I was able to take some of the most challenging and intriguing classes that I have ever taken with professors I admire greatly, had the privilege to do research and get to know the Ferhan and Mustafa Atici duo that made my smile every time we had a meeting, and get to travel to some of the coolest places on the planet. Looking back after the two best years of my life up until this point I can’t help but smile at how much I have change from these last two years of Calculus, eating Chick-fil-A, and incredible memories.

While the memories and experiences that I have taken away from my two years at the Academy are amazing, the people I met and spent my time with along the way are invaluable. Over the last couple years, I have struggled through classes, eaten way too much pizza, and played hours of Frisbee with some of the most incredible people I have ever met. Whether it was being loud and crazy together on second floor or having fun pranking each other on wing, I would not trade a single day at Gatton for anything. Gatton students were not the antisocial nerds that I had feared, they were some the most driven, caring, and supportive people I have ever met. The members of my graduating class are and always will be my Gatton family and I can’t wait to see what we all do with the next years in our lives.

Since graduating and coming home just a couple months ago it seems like everyone wants to know if I regret coming to Gatton and moving away two years early. I could never fully explain all that Gatton has done for me and how much I cherish the two years that I had there, but I will say that the last two years of my life have been by far the best to date. My decision to come to Gatton introduced me to some of the best people I have ever known, allowed me to grow both academically and socially, and gave me memories that I will value for the rest of my life.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Annie B. Wetzel

June 14, 2016 | 2015-2016, Annie B. Wetzel, Avatars, Senior Reflection | No Comments

I sat in the McDonald’s parking lot on Move-In Day with my parents shedding tears for the two years we were about to spend apart. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think of all the things I would be missing out on while I was away. The family dinners, nights with friends, football games, playing tennis. I wasn’t thinking of the new and exciting opportunities that The Gatton Academy would offer. I would now be challenged in the classroom. I could participate in undergraduate level research. I could travel to places I had read about and once dreamed of seeing. I would be forging friendships that would last a lifetime.

It isn’t easy to pack your bags and leave home two years early. There is a lot of maturing that must occur in the short span of a summer before arriving at the Academy. I tried to envision myself climbing the hill of Western, taking classes in a huge room filled with unfamiliar faces, working countless hours at my desk studying, but it wasn’t enough to prepare me to say my final goodbyes on that rainy Move-In Day. I still mourned the loss of the two years at home I would never get back.

Looking back on that tear-soaked day, my parents and I laugh at the time we spent in the McDonald’s parking lot. The Gatton Academy was a life changing and wonderful experience. I can honestly say I would not be in the same position I am today if I had not attended The Gatton Academy.

Days at the Academy pass so quickly. It seemed like as soon as my 7:15 AM alarm rang I would be climbing back into bed to set it again at nightfall. In the last few months of school, I wished the days would go by faster. I was ready for the next step in my life. I wasn’t thinking about the few precious moments the Academy still had to offer. It wasn’t until graduation that it all hit me. I stood beside my classmates and tried to take a mental picture of their faces. I knew in that moment that we were never going to be Gatton students again. We were going to be alums—the frequently mentioned “grandseniors.” Our time at the Academy was soon to be over.

I had the strangest feeling walking out of the auditorium after my tassel had been repositioned to the left side of my cap. I was perfectly content. My entire life was in order and Gatton was largely to thank. Everything I had hoped for as a young girl had come true. The moments I wept for lost time and urged for time to go by faster seemed senseless. It had all worked out as it was meant to be.

I am often asked if I would attend Gatton again if I had the choice. I always say yes. There is nothing I would change about my experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Academy and couldn’t imagine spending those two short years any other way. It has ultimately brought me to where I am today. I thank the Gatton Academy for more than a great education. They gave me true happiness and hope for the future I have always dreamed of.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Niven Achenjang

June 6, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Niven Achenjang, Senior Reflection | No Comments

It feels weird to sit here and begin to type out my senior reflection. Not just because I only graduated a few weeks ago; not just because it has not hit me that Gatton has ended; not just because the Gatton Facebook page is still active; not just because I have seen some of my fellow graduates recently, but because I am typing this a few days after it was due. If there is something people do not realize about Gatton students, it is that many of us (or at the very least me) have a habit of procrastinating assignments.

These past two years at Gatton were the strangest of my life, and I would not have them any other way (Well, no curfew would have been nice). I entered Gatton with few expectations and an unlimited supply of worries, all of which were quickly dealt with. Will everyone be anti-social, only focusing on academics? Not even close. Gatton is so much more than coursework (although that is important), and the community is far from anti-social. Will I be able to take the classes I want, or will these be two years of just general education classes? In the past two years, I have taken 2 philosophy classes, 4 computer science classes, and 8 math classes, so I am going to call this a yes. Will I stop running regularly and become slow and out of shape? Unfortunately, that did happen.

Despite what I gave up (running ability, time with friends/family, frequently eating at 2 Amigos, etc.), Gatton was worth it. It gave me interesting classes, study abroad opportunities, research experience, and all that other jazz you would expect on a Gatton pamphlet, but more so than those, Gatton was full of a lot of memorable little things. It had ultimate frisbee games (almost) daily, late night discussions lasting until 3 in the morning, multiple-hour long walks to GADS, etc. At Gatton, we reduced entire sentences to single words (Ex. “Do you want to go get food?” → “food?”), had real life poke wars, took Derick’s advice that “if a door is unlocked, that means you are allowed to go through it” a little more seriously than he intended, and both started and finished projects and 10-page papers in a single night.

Looking back on my two years at Gatton, they were not spent at a typical school, doing typical school things, They were spent forming inside jokes, becoming a part of and evolving a culture, partially losing my ability to speak English goodly, and creating stories I will remember for a long time. My takeaway from Gatton is not college credit and academic preparedness, but it is what I learned from my time outside of class. It’s the friendships I forged, the lessons I learned, and the fact that I really do not like to do my work until its due the next day.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Seth Marksberry

June 1, 2016 | Avatars, Senior Reflection, Seth Marksberry | No Comments

When I came to The Gatton Academy, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Gatton was a place known for great scholarship and a community like no other. Having graduated, I now know what the Academy really offered to its students. Yes, the community was full of great students who always looked out for each other, and any student can attest to the high academic standards everybody holds themselves to. There was, and surely still is, something else to the Academy which is rarely observed by the public.

Like many in my class, I was warned time and time again by senior students and staff that Gatton challenges even the best students. “You’re going to have to study to do well,” they repeated over and over again. And I believed them. I tried to never get (too far) behind on my work. My first semester went well, and I couldn’t help but think it really hadn’t been that hard. Sure it was a challenge compared to what I would have been doing at my home high school, but this was not the monumental challenge college was supposed to be. Perhaps this was easier than everybody made it out to be.

Three subsequent semesters, two research projects, and countless late nights spent studying firmly disproved me. The classes got harder, and I had to adapt and work at my classes like never before. I learned there is no such thing as an easy college experience and that learning at that level requires a lot of hard work no matter what caliber of student you are. Thankfully, none of us had to go through these experiences alone.

My graduating class consisted of fifty-eight of the hardest-working high school students in the Commonwealth, but this was not what we thought about each other. Those fifty-seven people who walked across the stage with me became my family. These were the ones who were up late with me when there was an important test the next day. When one of us didn’t understand what an integral was, there was always somebody close by to help. Sure there were arguments, but there was also camaraderie, sincerity, and several terrible puns.

There is still one aspect of the Academy few really realize until pomp and circumstance begins to play. Gatton has an attitude. Not an attitude problem, but an attitude. A spirit, if you will. Gatton is a place where microbes can be considered pets, it’s alright to approximate the speed of an unladen swallow, and where people calculate whether or not the sky is actually the limit as ambition approaches infinity. At Gatton, I found people who are legitimately excited about science and wanted to create a better future. This is the essence of the Academy: a group of smart students who aren’t afraid to care.

Gatton for me became a place I wasn’t afraid to explore the world of science and where dreaming big was encouraged rather than laughed at. My home high school tried to indoctrinate me with the belief that the purpose of high school was to take classes, pass tests, and get an okay job like everybody else. An aspiring engineer like myself struggled to find any real encouragement to pursue such lofty dreams. Gatton helped me turn my dreams into goals and taught me to never give up on them. For that, I owe The Gatton Academy my eternal gratitude.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Saadia Akhtar

May 23, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Saadia Akhtar, Senior Reflection | No Comments

It still hasn’t sunk in that I have graduated. It still hasn’t sunk in that I won’t be coming back to Gatton this fall. Or that my friends won’t be down the hall from me. Or that the whole building will share a common culture, a common identity.

In the weeks leading up to graduation, I refused to think about what my life would be like after I graduated. In fact, I refused to say the word “graduation.” I was in denial that my Gatton experience would be ending. Now, you may be wondering, many people graduate high school, get over yourself Saadia. However, I didn’t just graduate from high school, I ended a significant two years of my life- two years that I will never forget.

I moved in junior year expecting to live in a building full of nerds with no social graces and in a high-intensity environment. Looking back upon that moment, I laugh. That’s what everyone expects from Gatton, isn’t it? I quickly learned that Gatton is nothing like that. Gatton is a family. We have our own traditions (singing “Piano Man” last at every dance), our own culture (Ultimate Frisbee, anytime, anywhere), our own slang (Gattops, Accountabillabuddy), and our own problems (CPS). Just like a real family, we help each other get through our struggles. We help each other debug our codes, help each other pass Pesterfield or Minter’s class, and help each other navigate through life. I met some amazing people who helped me do just that.

Despite only knowing them for two years, I have made some incredibly strong bonds from friendship, bonds that I won’t ever break. I cherish every moment I spent with them, from hanging out in the common area, decorating the wings, walking around campus at 10:15, to studying abroad in England.

I’ve had to give up quite a bit to come to Gatton- friends, family time, driving, etc. Was it worth it? I’ve dwelled on this question for quite a bit and I believe I have found my answer- yes, it was definitely worth it. Not only was it worth it for the two years of college credit, the friends, research opportunities, and travel abroad opportunities, but it was especially worth it for how much I grew and learned over the past two years.

Coming from a high school where I was known as the “smart kid,” I had no other identity. And during my freshmen and sophomore years I was okay with that. It wasn’t until I came to Gatton, where everyone was the “smart kid,” that I realized my persona had a lot more to it than just intelligence. Soon, people started describing me as “shade-thrower” and “opinionated.”

I also realized what it truly meant to struggle and work hard. Quite frankly, my home high school barely challenged me. Even the AP classes were easy to me and did not require much effort on my part. Gatton, however, was a whole other ballgame. I mentioned earlier how Gatton wasn’t a high-intensity environment. It’s true that the building isn’t dead quiet with people furiously working on their laptops, but Gatton can definitely be stressful. One hundred and twenty teens taking college courses is no easy task. I realized very early on in the first semester that my old habits wouldn’t cut it. Over the past two years, I’ve worked harder than I ever have and have not maintained the 4.0 GPA that I used to be so prideful of. However, for every grade I received, I felt like I earned it.

These past two years bring with them a flood of emotions. On one hand I am happy to be done with high school, but on the other hand, I am sad to be leaving Gatton and its community. Even though my time at Gatton is over, my legacy is not. I will proudly say, for the rest of my life, that I went to The Gatton Academy for high school. I also know that if I ever wish to visit, Gatton will welcome me with open arms.

By Gatton Academy

2016 Winter Break

February 5, 2016 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Saadia Akhtar | No Comments

By: Saadia Akhtar

Western Kentucky University offers a three week period in the month of January in which students are given the option of taking a class. However, Gatton requires all of its students to do something during this period, as high schoolers regularly just have a two week winter break, not five. Gatton provides funding for winter term, which can be used during winter term or during the summer in between junior and senior year to help pay for the Harlaxton study abroad program. Academy students are allowed to take classes on campus (and stay at Gatton), take an online class from home, do a service project to get volunteer hours, or study abroad.

This year, Gatton offered two study abroad opportunities- Costa Rica and Italy. Costa Rica is a fun option for those interested in Biology, as the trip is a research course that is held in the forests of Costa Rica. Italy has no credit-bearing option and allows students to have a nice and relaxing time to explore sites such as the Coliseum and Galleria dell’Accademia.

Winter term is a good opportunity for students to fulfill a class requirement (like U.S. History), get service hours that Gatton requires (to graduate with honors), or expand their horizons through traveling.

By Gatton Academy

PSAT Test

December 16, 2015 | 2015-2016, Avatars, Seth Marksberry | No Comments

By: Seth Marksberry

On October 14^th every junior at Gatton took the PSAT, an exam similar to the SAT. Students are required to take the PSAT (or NMSQT) in order to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. Gatton consistently has many students qualify for the top award of National Merit Finalist, along with many semifinalists and honorable mentions. As a result, our students take the test very seriously. Many reported using preparatory books and online resources in hope of attaining the highest score they can.

In all of the excitement of the juniors taking their PSAT, many seniors were enjoying the benefits of their high scores on last year’s test. The cutoff for semifinalists this year was a score of 210 out of 240. Each semifinalist is required to take a regular SAT in order to become a finalist. Tagging along with some of these prospective finalists (I had tests of my own to take that day), I could see their sense of excitement and anxiety about the test. This SAT was the last standardized test many of them will have to take in their high school career, so I’m sure it will be a relief no matter what score comes back.

By Gatton Academy

Recent News

Category: Avatars