Tag Archive : New staff

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[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Laura Huff

September 1, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Laura Huff.

Interview by Sydney Combs, Academy Avatar

1. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I had been part of the Gatton Academy staff for two years as a night clerk before applying for a residential counselor position. I decided to go for the position because I wanted to stay with the Academy after graduating college. I love working here and love the atmosphere. It seemed like the perfect fit for me.

2. Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I attended Western Kentucky University and studied English with a concentration in creative writing. I did droadcasting as a minor and did most of the Asian Studies courses as well as studied Japanese for the last three years of my college education.

3. What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to getting started and getting into a routine first of all. I’m also looking forward to getting to know not only the girls on my floor but the other students as well.

4. What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

There is no other high school in Kentucky like Gatton Academy. It’s a place where students from all sorts of different places, backgrounds, and cultures can come together and work toward their dreams. They learn more about the world, especially being on a college campus, where the atmosphere is entirely different.

5. What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I hope to bring together people from different groups and different floors and to introduce some new things to the students that they may not have otherwise tried.

6. Do you have any unique hobbies?

I watch a LOT of Japanese dramas. In the past three years, I’ve seen over 250. They’re just so addicting and so many new ones keep coming out.

7. If you had a couple of hours to waste in an airport, what would you be doing?

Since I rarely travel, airports are a novelty for me. Whenever I do somehow get to be in an airport, I love just walking around looking at the stores and the strangely expensive things they sell there. It fascinates me that you can buy so much stuff in an airport.

8. What clubs are you interested in starting or sponsoring this year?

I think I’m going to be the Japanese Culture Club sponsor this year, but other than that, I’m free. If anyone has a club for which they need a sponsor, then come see me.

9. Why did you choose to major in your field?

I chose Creative Writing because I got to write. Writing stories is something I’ve done since childhood when I learned how to write, and it was all I had ever wanted to do up until I got in college. Things have changed a bit, but I still love writing and loved being able to just sit in class and write a random story.

10. In a fierce battle, who would win: Unicorns or Zombies, and why?

Hmm…unicorns have the advantage of being alive and faster, but zombies are already dead and develop superhuman strength to rip things apart once they are undead. Definitely zombies that would rip apart the unicorns.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Study Skills Coordinator Keely P’Pool

August 30, 2010 | 5Q, Academics, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Study Skills Coordinator Keely P’Pool.

Interview by Krysta Waldrop, Academy Avatar

1. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I am very excited to be a member of the Gatton Academy staff this year, and I am looking forward to working with and interacting with all the students. I am a firm believer in gifted education and feel that gifted students should be given academic opportunities that will challenge them and enable them to maximize their potential. Knowing these values are incorporated into the mission of the Gatton Academy made me want to become a staff member so that I can contribute my knowledge and expertise in hopes of helping every student at the Gatton Academy be successful.

2. Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I am actually an alumnus of Western Kentucky University. I have a variety of degrees from this university and am also currently working on my second Masters degree from Western. I graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Criminology. I also have my Master’s degree in Elementary & Gifted Education from WKU. I am currently finishing up my Specialist degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Gifted Education, and I am starting work on my second Master’s this fall in Library Media Education.

3. What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

One of the main components I have missed most from my teaching career is interacting and working with students. I enjoy collaborating with students and watching them learn and be successful. I also enjoy learning about my students and forming positive academic relationships with them. Last year I worked at The Center for Gifted Studies and missed the interaction with students. So, now that I am at the Gatton Academy I am excited to once again work with students and do what I can to ensure that they will be successful.

4. What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I think the main thing that makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience is that it allows gifted students from all across the state to interact and learn from each other in an environment that is extremely beneficial for them. It’s a completely different learning experience when you come from a classroom where you are the only gifted student to an environment where every student around you is gifted. The Gatton Academy experience allows gifted students to form a camaraderie among themselves because they understand each other. The educational experience is so much better when you share it with people who enjoy learning as much as you do, and that is the atmosphere that the Gatton Academy provides.

5. What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I hope to make many positive contributions to life at the Gatton Academy. Among these contributions I hope to bring a supportive environment for all of the students I will be working with during the study hours. I also hope to show the students that I truly care about them and their academic success by making myself available as much as possible to meet their academic needs, whether it be proofreading a research paper, helping students review for an exam, or scheduling tutors for students who need some extra help in their classes.

6. Have you often worked with young adults in past jobs? (Also, if yes, what/who inspired you to work with people in that age group?

I taught fourth grade for two years at Oakland Elementary here in Bowling Green, even though those students are a little bit younger than the “young adult” category. I also taught a class at SCATS last summer called Nazi Germany & the Holocaust, which I taught to gifted middle school students. As far as my fourth graders, I have always wanted to teach and work with students, so I truly enjoyed working with students at that age especially when I was able to teach them content where they had to think critically about their problem solving. Concerning the SCATS students, I attended both SCATS and VAMPY when I was younger and knew that I wanted to teach a class at SCATS at some point. Nazi Germany and the Holocaust is a topic of interest for me, and I have traveled to some of the concentration camps in Europe. It was great to teach a topic to students who were interested and wanted to learn about a subject matter that I am passionate about.

7. Do you have any advice to give to the students that would have helped you at our age?

My advice for students would be to experience as much as you can (traveling, meeting new people, taking interesting classes, etc.) whenever you can because life is too short not to enjoy every moment. As far as academics, my advice would be to work hard and stay focused, even though there will be times when all you want to do is watch TV, relax, and hang out with friends. Hard work does pay off in the end, and it is totally worth it to do well the first time and enjoy your accomplishments.

8. What was your favorite subject in high school?

My favorite subjects in high school were history (because I had an AMAZING AP History teacher) and math (I took AP Calculus my senior year).

9. What has been the most memorable place to which you have traveled?

This is a really hard question because I am an avid traveler. I have been to 48 states (still need to go to Alaska and Hawaii) and 18 countries. If I had to choose I would say the most memorable place I have been to would be a tie between Ireland, Italy (Venice), Australia, and France (Paris).

10. Is there anything else about you that you would like the staff, students, or parents to know?

I would like everyone to know that my main goal is for every student at the Gatton Academy to be successful. I am available and willing to help the students in any way that I can and am more than willing to meet with students whenever they need me. Some interesting facts I guess would be that I am from a military family, I love to travel (which is obvious from the answer I gave in the above question), and I used to train horses when I was younger.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Sue Meador

August 28, 2009 | Staff | No Comments

Sue Meador

With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Sue Meador.

Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

One of my friends informed me that there was a position open at the Gatton Academy. Since I was coming back to Western for graduate school, I decided to apply after becoming more interested in the position.

Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I attended college starting in the fall of 2001 through 2005, studying sociology, geography, and criminology. I completed the GIS (Geographic Information System) program here at Western Kentucky University.

What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to helping the students experience new adventures. I feel that most people stick with a certain activity, yet I enjoy trying new things and encouraging others do the same.

What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

Due to students still being in high school but living and taking courses at WKU, I feel it is a more involved job than other residential life positions.

What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I would like to promote more involvement in service opportunities on and off campus.

How does it feel to be back at Western Kentucky University?

It is awesome! I love Western and am excited to be back.

Who was your most influential professor at Western? Why?

My most influential professor was Dr. Smith in the sociology department. I was taking the class for a general education requirement when he inspired me to think outside of the box.  His teaching led me to want to learn more about sociology, which led to my choice to major in it.

What clubs are you interested in starting or leading this year?

I would be interested in creating a photography/scrapbooking club. Since I enjoy taking pictures and making scrapbooks, I would like to gather others with the same interests.

When attending WKU did you live on campus?

I spent my freshman year on campus, then off campus during my sophomore year. However, I came back to campus for my junior and senior years so that I could be more involved on campus with my friends and sorority.

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Adventurist.  Hard-working. Adaptable.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Rachel Stewart

August 27, 2009 | News, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

Ami KarlageWith the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Rachel Stewart.

Interview by Katie Rush, Academy Avatar

1.  Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I wanted to be a part of the Academy because I really enjoy being a mentor and a role model. I could do that many places, I guess, but I chose the Academy in particular because I enjoy math and science and working with gifted youths.

2.  Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Music Education.

3.  What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the new juniors and returning seniors!

4.  What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

For Kentucky, it is very unique to be in high school and college simultaneously. Also, it is very unusual to attend a residential high school where your classmates are also your roommates.  I think these make the Academy one-of-a-kind and a very special experience.

5.  What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

Since I was identified as gifted, I feel that I can relate to gifted students and all that being gifted entails. Also, I am excited to be an RC so I can help students with the high school to college transition.

6.  If you were an astronaut, to which planet would you like to travel?

Pluto, since it is the farthest away from the Earth and the Sun. I would like to see what the galaxy looks like from that totally different perspective. Pluto is still a planet to me!

7.  What are your hobbies and interests outside of being an Academy RC?

I love to read, and I’m a little bit obsessed with the German language. I play clarinet and piano, and sing, in addition to just hanging out with friends and making music.

8.  Who are your favorite authors?

C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Jane Austen

9.  What song could describe your life?

Probably “Bonjour” from Beauty and the Beast, because I’ve never been content with staying in the same place and not pursuing new experiences and adventures.

10.  What is one of your favorite quotations?

“Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.” Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Study Skills Coordinator Ami Karlage

August 24, 2009 | Academics, News, Staff | No Comments

Ami KarlageWith the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff.  We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team.  They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences.  Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other.  It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy.  Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better.  Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person.  Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Ami Karlge, the Coordinator: Study Skills.

Interview by Ballard Metcalfe, Academy Avatar

1.  Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I wanted to take a break from graduate school, where I am studying the history of medicine and the history of bioethics. I wanted to stay close to the teaching profession. I found out about the Academy through my brother, Sean, who attends here.

2.  Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I attended Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. I studied History of Science with a focus in 20th Century Biology and Medicine.

3.  What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I am looking forward to being surrounded by the students. In graduate school, you do some teaching, but that is only a few days a week. Here, I am looking forward to being around the students all the time.

4.  What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I believe that everyone’s dedication makes this unique. The students are not necessarily just focussed on doing homework or taking an exam, but they are truly dedicating to learning and have a passion for doing so.

5.  What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I will be facilitating the study hours, making sure that there is a quiet environment suitable for everyone to study. However, I do not want to look at this through the lens of “sucking the fun out.”

6.  If you could be a superhero, who would you be or what superpowers would you have?

I do not know of many superheroes, but I would choose Wonder Woman. If I could have any superpower, I would have the ability to go without sleep. It always seems like there is not enough time to do everything that I would like to do, and having some extra time could allow me to pursue some hobbies that I have been neglecting.

7.  From whom do you get your inspiration?

I get most of my inspiration from my teachers. There are even some teachers that I have kept in touch with for 10-12 years! For example, I will still get together and have dinner with my high school teacher who taught me how to write. She was such an inspiration to me.

8.  What three words describe you best?

Thoughtful, Teacher, and Learner
I am thoughtful by being both considerate and deliberate in my actions. I have been a teacher for so long, from my beginnings as a swim instructor, to now how I teach study skills. This has been a big part of my life. Being a learner is also something that I have been for my whole life, and it is an integral part of who I am.

9.  What is your favourite place to eat?

Christopher’s. This is a pub in Cambridge, MA. They have a great dish called Yuppy Nachos, which are nachos smothered with things one may find in a whole foods store, such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and goat cheese.

10.  Is there anything that you know now that you did not at our age that you wish now you had?

Education is worth it; keep putting in the hard work and it will pay off.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Assistant Coordinator: Residence Life Melissa Schultz

August 22, 2009 | 5Q, News | No Comments

Melissa Schultz

With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff.  We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team.  They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences.  Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other.  It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy.  Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better.  Avatars came up with five questions that we asked each person.  Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up first is Melissa Schultz, the Assistant Coordinator: Residence Life.

Interview by Ryne Weiss, Academy Avatar

1.  Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I decided to join the Academy because of the unique experience of working with gifted students. Once I interviewed with the academy staff, I knew it would be a good fit because of the dedication and passion the staff  exhibited for the students. I’m also excited to have an experience different than my past experiences of working with traditional aged college students–I hope to focus on providing learning opportunities outside the classroom to bring education to life!

2.  Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I did my undergraduate work at Michigan State University. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Apparel and Textile Design with minors in Applied Arts, Interior Design, and Business. My Master’s Degreee is in Higher Education and Administration.

3.  What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I am most looking forward to meeting and getting to know each student, and being a resource for those students, in terms of not only providing opportunities for education and community service but also in providing help in their transition to the Academy.

4.  What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I think that it is the ultimate living and learning experience. Students living at the academy experience similar classes and have opportunities to participate in activities together outside of the classroom. This togethernness makes the Academy a true community; with the focus being on math and science, it gives students an opportunity to explore their interests with their peers and in an in-depth way.

5.  What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I come to the Academy with four years experience in residential life. I am an involved professional in student affairs, and I believe these expereinces have prepared me to bring intentional and exciting programs that adhere to the mission of the academy.  I am genuinely interested in being a resource to help foster students’ success, development and enjoyment at the Academy.

6.  What is your favorite CD, movie, and book?

Supply and Demand by Amos Lee is my favorite CD. My favorite book is Composing a Life by Mary Katherine Bateson. My favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle.

7.  If you were only allowed to bring one personal item to the Academy, what would it be?

It would have to be my laptop; it keeps me connected to all the important people in my life.

8.  If you and the Academy staff were trapped on an island, who would you eat and why?

(shock and horror) Sue, because she just volunteered.

9.  If you and the Academy were a famous couple, who would you be and why?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie because they are fierce philanthropists, and they seem to be dedicated to bringing active young citizens into the world…. and I am not very up to date with pop culture, they are the first famous couple to come to mind. (laughs)

10.  Is the Academy more like a crucible or the TV show The Real World?

Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’ll go with The Real World! (laughs)

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By Corey Alderdice