Avatars – Page 7 – The Gatton Academy News

Study Abroad: Costa Rica

March 26, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Sydney Wheeler | No Comments

Everyone who’s just returned from a study abroad trip with Gatton will likely tell you the same things. They’ll say, “It was amazing!” or “I want to go back!” and “I had so much fun.” I hate being a cliché, but I must fall in with the masses when it comes to the study abroad programs that Gatton provides. My winter term study abroad trip to Costa Rica was amazing; I had so much fun, and I want to go back! Our cohort consisted of 16 students, Pokey, Cheryl, Dr. Keith Philips, and his wife Linda. We arrived in sunny, warm Liberia and began the first leg of our trip at Goldring Gund Marine Field Station, helping patrol local beaches for nesting sea turtles. After four days at Playa Grande, we traveled south to Poor Man’s Paradise, located on the Osa Peninsula. There we spent time enjoying the beach, snorkeling, and visiting Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse habitats on Earth. Our last week was spent at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, split into four research teams with four students each. My group studied carbon sequestration in trees; the other groups studied Bromeliads, Birds, and Dung beetles. We enjoyed our exhausting hikes through the dense primary forest each day and the chance to learn more about our selected topics throughout our week in the cloud forest.

The educational experience the trip provided was a great one, but I might say that the opportunity to connect with staff members t I didn’t know very well, grow even closer with those I did, forage new relationships with classmates, cultivate old ones, and see a new part of the work was the part that truly made a lasting impression. Being with such a small group made me branch out and make new friends with people who I’d never spoken to before, which was one of the highlights of my trip. In ten years I may not remember every detail about the plants and animals we studied while in Costa Rica, but I will certainly remember the experiences my peers and I shared!

By Gatton Academy

Spring at Gatton

March 14, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Elizabeth Roebker | No Comments

The first week of March marks spring break 2019; a well-deserved break for the students of the Gatton Academy. For the juniors, spring means Advanced Computational Problem Solving. Spring break is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some sleep and prepare for the second half of the second semester of the year. For the seniors, this marks the last eighth of our time at The Gatton Academy. It has gone by incredibly fast, and I cannot believe that this time two months from now we’ll no longer be high school students. Senioritis is setting in for some of us as March equates to the beginning of college decision crunch time. The last batch of college decisions will be coming out throughout the next month, and by May 1 the Gatton Academy Class of 2019 will have all decided where we are going to be spending the next 2-4 years of our lives. It’s a bittersweet time of the year for the seniors at Gatton as we teeter on the brink of the last stretch of high school.

On a more cheerful note, spring at Gatton also means it’s almost time for prom. Junior prom at Gatton was by far my favorite dance of the year, and for myself and a lot of other juniors it was
the first prom I had ever attended. Gatton Academy students have been looking forward to and preparing for prom all semester. Students recently voted on the theme for this years dance: head in the clouds. Prom committee has been working hard on decorations and arrangements for this semester highlight, and it’s something to look forward to as everyone works hard to finish out this last semester strong.

By Gatton Academy

When the Work Gets Tough

March 13, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Georgia Hoffman | No Comments

Not to burst anyone’s bubble or anything, but Gatton course work is not easy. Students come to Gatton to be challenged, to grow and learn how to handle difficulties. My classmates and I have rigorous schedules, and not only do the Gatton staff offer help, they encourage us to ask for it. Each semester there seems to be one particular class that requires more effort and time than the others. For me, these courses were Computer Science first semester, then Computational Problem Solving the next, Calculus 2, and finally Physics. There have been several occasions over the past year and a half where I have hit a wall, and I have learned how to ask for help.

One great thing about Gatton is that when you are struggling with a class, so are 99 of your closest friends. From 3 AM impromptu CPS peer-tutoring to Calc 2 group reviews, I have benefitted from close-knit communal learning. My classmates and I are always ready and willing to help explain a topic that someone just cannot seem to understand on their own, or look at the code that they have have been struggling with for the past 3 hours.

Gatton also provides tutors in the Great Hall on week nights. There are in-house tutors for Math/Physics, Computer Science, and Biology/Chemistry, but the staff are happy to get students tutors in whatever subject they need. I have personally made sure that the Math and Computer Science tutors earn their pay; last semester I spent approximately six hours each week with the Math tutor thanks to Calculus 2.

Although the courseload is rigorous, Gatton provides a supportive learning community and tutors for all of your academic needs. After three semesters, I have learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or admittance of defeat, but a humbling and mature decision based solely on the desire to succeed. Even Kentucky’s Brightest need a little boost every once in a while.

By Gatton Academy

A Relaxing Last Semester

March 12, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Drew Aubry | No Comments

The class of 2019 is finally on the last lap. We are so close to graduating and starting on our next journey, whether that be straight to university or taking a gap year. College apps are finally done and it’s all a waiting game. Admissions decisions, financial aid packages, and summer plans are the only things we have to worry about for the next few months.

For me, I have almost all of my admissions decisions and financial aid package notifications. I’m down to deciding between two colleges. It’s a hard choice but I have a few months left to make it, since May 1^st is the deadline. My last semester is infinitely easier than any of my other semesters, since I’m finally taking classes I really want to take outside of the Gatton requirements. These include Communication Sciences and Disorders and German. I have a lot more time to dedicate to things I enjoy doing and learning about like Lacrosse, German, and going to the gym. I’m nervous for graduation, but it feels good to know everything I have been doing for the last two years has been worth it. I’ve made it through to the other side and I’m glad for every experience that I’ve had both inside and outside of the classroom.

I don’t speak for every senior this semester, but many of my peers share experiences like mine this semester. Many of us are down to our final few choices for college and taking classes we really have been able to slow down and enjoy. We have the time to explore things about ourselves, really enjoy our time together, and even help the juniors with their classes if they want it. All in all, our final semester is one of reflection and a little bit of relaxation we haven’t gotten to have in a while.

By Gatton Academy

Mentors

March 11, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Wyatt Ringo | No Comments

As one progresses through education, teachers do more than merely recite PowerPoints or read from lab manuals; they begin to lead. Especially in upper division classes, teachers can often inspire and motivate their students in ways outside of the classroom. Through direct involvement in undergraduate research or serving as a source of experience and wisdom, teachers can soon become more: they can become mentors.

Mentors play a critical role in the academic and social growth of students, and having a competent and well-rounded mentor can cause a world of difference. Select instructors strive to inspire curiosity and a fascination for learning, just like my freshman year biology teacher, Mr. Budniak. In his class, two pivotal projects were to go out into the world to document and identify insects and plants, which forces one to slow down and earnestly examine the nature around them. After that project, I have a newfound joy and wonder for the life I find around me, which would have never happened without the guiding influence of a great teacher, thinly veiled behind a curtain of homework.

So, too, can professors foster a love of learning through direct interaction, such as taking on a student to work in their research lab. My current research mentor, Dr. Gupta, has gone beyond her role to guide me through our projects, instead encouraging me to strive for excellence at every chance I could. While pursuing novel research into nontrivial fields, Dr. Gupta has given me countless opportunities to grow, to learn, and to experience things I never thought possible for a student of my age. My time working in her lab has given me more than just experience in a myriad of machines or presentation of data. It has shown me what it means to be dedicated to science and to live your life in pursuit of learning more about the universe around you—big or small.

By Gatton Academy

Move In Day

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Rithik Reddy | No Comments

Ah, move-in day. In college, move-in day is a crazy, packed day where all the new freshmen start to acclimate to their new life, and the upperclassmen are in the middle of all the craziness, help move things in and catch up with old friends. In Gatton, it is no different, though at a smaller scale.

Just like our seniors last year, we were tasked with moving in all 102 of the new juniors to the buildings. The day began relatively chill, as at 8:30 AM, we were served an amazing breakfast of donuts and orange juice. But next, the real work began. At 9:00, around 40 of us walked to the front of Gatton, eagerly waiting for the first batch of juniors to arrive.

The first car finally got here and it was immediately swarmed by a pack of 20 very eager Gatton students. The parents opened up their trunk and told the seniors their kid’s room number, and wa-la, all of the luggage went to the room. The rest of the day went similarly to this. Greeting parents, introducing ourselves to the new juniors, and moving fridges to rooms was the norm until about 2:30.

But for me, this brought back very nostalgic memories. When I moved into Gatton for the first time. I remember being very anxious the first day, not knowing what to expect at all. All of my things were brought safely to my room (Thanks seniors!), but even after I moved in, I had other things on my mind. How would my classes be, would it be ok to make friends here, and do people here just study all the time? Thankfully the answers to those questions were to my liking, but at the time they were very important questions I did not know the answer to.

So, my parting words of advice would be to take things slowly and one thing at a time. You won’t feel overwhelmed with everything you have to face if you just think about each thing one at a time and face it head-on. Gatton’s a place that you’ll grow into and get adjusted to as time passes. Try to fall into a good routine and definitely leave time for relaxation.

Rithik

By Gatton Academy

Helping the Juniors Transition into Gatton / What It’s Felt like Living with New People

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Drew Aubry | No Comments

I think I speak for almost every student at Gatton when I say that I was a weird mix of nervous and excited when the juniors started moving in. I was concerned they wouldn’t adapt to or positively add to the community my peers and I had created over the last year with our seniors. I was anxious that I wouldn’t be able to fill the shoes that my seniors left me. Most of all, I was anxious to get to know them all.

I would be lying if I said it didn’t feel weird to walk out into the common area on my floor and not see some of my closest friends out there studying, playing Guitar Hero, and creating some random business plan with a seed catalog, a business and marketing textbook, and a drone. I would also be lying if I said that it didn’t feel great to walk out there and see the common area filled with most of my floor gathered around the TV playing video games, watching some cop show, playing mafia, or playing our nightly game of Ninja tripping over the couches and chairs.

On my floor, we have started new traditions and inside jokes with our juniors. We’ve all gone to eat together and spent time in our common area. Outside of my floor, I see people hanging out and watching movies in the computer lab on 3rd or doing homework in the den on 4th. Every time I see a junior out and about on campus, we smile and wave at each other. It feels good to have that connection with them. When I walk around the building, I see seniors helping answer the junior’s questions about classes and life at Gatton. Overall, we are all doing our part to create the positive community that so many of us love to be a part of.

We make our own home here at the Academy, and I can say, without a doubt, these new “baby juniors” really have made our home one that is, although different, just as happy as I remember it last year. I truly look forward to the rest of my senior year with them.

Drew

By Gatton Academy

Third Floor. Best Floor.

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Trivan Menezes | No Comments

If there’s one thing you need to know about Gatton, it’s that third floor is the best floor…at least in my eyes. You’ll probably hear the same message being stated by any Gatton student but in regard to their own floor.

Jokes aside, I can confidently say that the Third Floor Boys wing of Gatton is the tightest-knit community which I have pertained to. At Gatton, students have an on-floor curfew of 10:30pm on weeknights, and midnight on weekends. Don’t tell anyone, but many students tend to stay up for however long they please, for varying reasons. After curfew, there’s nobody around besides the guys/girls on your given floor, so it’s not a surprise that students tend to become closest to those on their floor. It’s like living in a bubble. Each floor’s community is separated from the rest of Gatton for 6-7 hours each night. The staff terms such a community “wing/floor culture.” Whenever you need help understanding something in class, need advice about a trivial choice to make, or if you need to just talk something out, the people on your floor will always be there for you. Life at Gatton would be drastically different if it lacked such a close community. Students would roam from class to class with nothing to do, and nobody to spend time with. That said, the bonds I have made with those who reside around me is something that I can look back on with a smile, and something that has made my Gatton experience even more worthwhile.

One particular bond I formed during my Junior year is that with my roommate, Pranay. At orientation, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to room with him. We agreed, and the year turned out great. There are a few Gatton students who, while living together in harmony, aren’t the best of friends with their roommates, so I’m proud to have had such a good friendship develop last year with my awesome roommate.

This year, the third floor community has a lot to live up to. The bonds that were created last year were unlike anything I had ever felt before. The community here at Gatton is truly something special. That said, from the first night this year, I know the new people on my floor will help us build something even better than last year.

Trivan

By Gatton Academy

Midterms

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Evan Hendrickson | No Comments

First midterms are in full-swing at the Academy, and that entails late nights and several daily coffee runs. Although very stressful, there is a slight feeling of pride that comes during this “mini” finals week. We are now given the chance to showcase the knowledge we’ve gained over these past five weeks, and are able to make our parents, professors, and selves proud. At the very least, if an exam doesn’t go as well as expected, we then know how to adjust to being better prepared for the next one.

One of the best and ever-present aspects of Gatton is adjusting, and in regards to academics, adjusting to a rigor that many of us have never even experienced a fraction of. In my time here, I, along with every other student, have faced some form of academic setback. However, there is much to be learned about ourselves, our attitudes, and our potential based on how we decide to react to them. The most successful students I know have taken their failures and used them to increase their work ethic and perfect their study strategies, rather than wallow in them and make no effort to overcome.

Although this week may be rough, we are all in this together. The stress is so much more bearable when you are surrounded by a community of 200 other students that are eager to help you study, encourage you to work harder, and be a support if something goes wrong. I wish all of my fellow students luck this week, whether they’re preparing for their first Organic Chemistry exam, ballet technique evaluation, or electrical engineering group project.

I should get to studying too!

Evan

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Junior Retreat

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Hannah Congleton | No Comments

Junior retreat starts in the lobby with everyone holding pillows that they most likely won’t use and excitedly talking to each other that creates an increasingly loud ruckus. Then when told we are finally able to go everyone stampeded toward the door and started the trek down to Preston where we will be locked up together for the whole night. Everyone sits in a circle and hears the plans of the night and thinking about how we’re going to stay up. The junior retreat is getting locked up inside of Preston for a whole night, and having an eye-opening experience where you learn more about yourself and your fellow juniors, feeling like you are in a happier version of the Twilight Zone.

Everyone that I have talked to about Junior Retreat thought of it as a worthwhile experience. The retreat is a couple of weeks into classes, so you see faces you haven’t seen since the beginning of the year and get to reconnect. Everyone is buzzing with energy, and some people expend this energy by doing different activities throughout Preston. After we have time to settle into Preston, we group again and talk about what it’s like being a junior and activities that bring everyone closer. There are structured activities throughout the rest of the night, and if that’s not your thing you can do different activities or find a place just to sit and talk to friends. There was even a room designated for sleeping for the people who needed some rest. Anyone can enjoy themselves at the junior retreat.

From my experiences, I have some advice for things to do at the junior retreat. One, open yourself up, so you get the most from the experience. Two, participate in one of the recommended activities. Three, play wolleyball because everyone is bad at wolleyball and you can all laugh together. Three, stay hydrated because you can’t have fun while dehydrated. And four, be prepared for a long nap when you get back. When the retreat was finally over we all hiked back up the hill while the sun was rising and bathing everything in light. I felt lighter than I had in a while and I knew myself better than I had in a while. The junior retreat is an awesome experience, and I would definitely recommend going.

Hannah

By Gatton Academy

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