Tag Archive : Amy Cordero

/ Amy Cordero

2010 National Merit SemifinalistsMore than 20% of Gatton Academy seniors have been recognized as Semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program, an honor which potentially opens the door college scholarship opportunities.  In all, 12 members of the Class of 2010 will go on to the next round of the competition.

Over 1.5 million students in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  Students are testing in math, critical reasoning, and writing.  The 16,000 Semifinalists honored are the highest-scoring entrants in their state and represent less than 1 percent of each state’s high school seniors.

For these Gatton Academy seniors, it’s a great way to begin their final year of high school even as they focus on the college admissions process ahead.  According to Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott, this is just the beginning of a busy—and rewarding—year.

“With this recognition, these students have earned a key that will open tremendous educational opportunities,” Gott said. “We look forward to seeing what these students will accomplish in the days ahead.”

To be considered in the rigorous competition for National Merit Scholarships, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the competition by meeting additional standard and fulfilling several requirements.  These include having a record of very high academic performance of college preparatory course work, submitting SAT scores that confirm PSAT performance, and being fully endorsed and recommended by a high school official.

For Gott, that recommendation will be easy to give.

“It is an incredible honor to be named a National Merit Semifinalist,” Gott said. “These remarkable young people have been strongly prepared by their home high schools and the Gatton Academy is privileged to be able to contribute to the ongoing education of these outstanding students.”

2010 Gatton Academy National Merit Semifinalists:

Sam Brown  (Greenwood High School, Warren County)
Thomas Choate  (Warren Central High School, Warren County)
Amy Cordero  (Pikeville High School, Pike County)
Nash Dingman  (Heath High School, McCracken County)
Cody Feldhaus  (Conner High School, Boone County)
Jacob Haven  (Bourbon County High School, Bourbon County)
Ballard Metcalfe  (Eminence High School, Henry County)
Alex Naumann  (Boyd County High School, Boyd County)
Rohith Palli  (Paul L. Dunbar High School, Fayette County)
Sarah Pritchett  (George Rogers Clark High School, Clark County)
Katherine Rush  (Franklin County High School, Franklin County)
Ryne Weiss  (Madison Central High School, Madison County)

Finalists will be named in Winter 2010.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.

Chinese Language FlagshipIn today’s competitive global economy, U.S. undergraduate and graduate students are under increasing pressure to gain skills that set them apart from the rest of the pack upon graduation.

The Language Flagship, an innovative and relatively new initiative established  by the National Security Education Program, has scholarship and fellowship awards available to students with the motivation and determination to successfully complete an advanced language immersion and cultural studies program.

Western Kentucky University was selected earlier this year as of eight funded programs in the United States to receive the honor.  Other universities participating in the program include: Indiana University, Ohio State, Brigham Young University, Arizona State University, University of Rhode Island, University of Oregon, and the University of Mississippi.

Additionally, six Gatton Academy students have been selected to participate in the program’s first cohort: Jared Mink, a second-year student from Laurel County; Megan Stulz, a second-year student from Kenton County; Amy Cordero, a second-year student from Pike County; Jason Ludden, a second-year student from Adair County; Sarah Schrader, a first-year student from Warren County; and Ben Venable, a first-year student from Oldham County.

By enrolling students from across all majors and disciplines—including the sciences, economics, business, and literature—Flagship programs mainstream language study into a student’s curriculum, ensuring that they will be capable of functioning in their profession in the target language. A U.S. workforce with language proficiency and more sophisticated cultural understanding will create goodwill leading to greater international cooperation and collaboration.

According to Michael Nugent, director of the initiative based in Arlington, VA, “Graduates of The Language Flagship already have started taking their place among the next generation of global professionals through superior proficiency in languages critical to U.S. competitiveness and national security.” In fact, alumni of the program now work in key leadership and diplomacy positions in the government, business, and civic sectors.

For many careers pursued by top college graduates today, it’s not enough to study political science coupled with two years of language instruction that may not have direct relevance to the student’s major.  Today’s professionals need to be able to function at a high level in their chosen fields as well as in their language of study. To meet this need, Flagship programs include intensive language training with long-term overseas study in a non-language subject.

According to WKU’s Office of Scholar Development, these programs are rigorous but rewarding and come with highly personalized advising and lucrative scholarships.  Moreover, participation in the program can increase students’ competitiveness for outstanding jobs in both government and industry.

All of the Flagship programs include two components: a domestic component at one of the U.S. Flagship institutions, and an intensive study abroad component at the Overseas Flagship Centers in China.   Both components are mandatory and essential to student success.