Tag Archive : Spring 2011

/ Spring 2011

Future Business Leaders of America
Future Business Leaders of America

Several Gatton Academy students took top honors at the 2011 Region 2 and Kentucky State Future Busniess Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference, including three state champions.

Each of the seven students who competed were honored as finalists in their respective events at the regional level.  Six were honored in the state competition.

Students will advance to the National Leadership Conference later this year.

FBLA-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world. The high school division has 215,000 members, while the postsecondary division reaches over 11,000 college students. The newest group, FBLA-Middle Level, is showing remarkable growth with nearly 15,000 student members. Finally, the Professional Division has reached over 3,000 members. Over 11,000 advisers round out the group. Exclusive membership and career recognition programs are designed for each division to provide additional personal and chapter development opportunities.

Students honored  at Regionals include:

1st Place Business Communications – Sarah Schrader
1st Place Networking Concepts – Daniel Dilger
1st Place Technology Concepts – Joey Tutor
2nd Place Economics – Madeline Buhr
2nd Place Health Care Administration – Tejas Sangoi
2nd Place Impromptu Speaking – Lori Lovell
3rd Place Business Calculations – David Sekora

Students honored  at State include:

1st Place Networking Concepts – Daniel Dilger
1st Place Technology Concepts – Joey Tutor
1st Place Impromptu Speaking – Lori Lovell
5th  Place Business Calculations – David Sekora
5th Place Business Communications – Sarah Schrader
5th Place Health Care Administration – Tejas Sangoi

Beth Hawke, Coordinator for Residence Life at the Gatton Academy, serves as the chapter’s sponsor. She expressed pride not only in the team’s accomplishments but also their attitude.

“I am incredibly proud of the work that our students have done and the way they represent Gatton Academy,” she said. “Our FBLA students made a strong showing at the Regional Leadership Conference this year, demonstrating yet again that Gatton Academy students are versatile and well-rounded. These students continue to set the bar high for those who will follow in their footsteps.”

Part of the Gatton Academy’s mission is to train students to think entrepreneurially while becoming the Commonwealth’s future leader. Hawke believes those skills contribute their future roles in STEM fields.

“Many of our students have entrepreneurial aspirations as they wish to go into private practice as physicians, market future inventions, or pursue other business opportunities,” Hawke explained.  “With the growing opportunities that e-commerce and the internet provide, the sky is the limit for these students.  Regardless of the fields that our students eventually choose, the knowledge and skills that they acquire through participation in organizations like FBLA will serve them well in the future.”

For Academy students, this is the the beginning of their professional growth.

“Professionalism is at the core of the mission of FBLA.  Participation in FBLA helps students acquire valuable skills that will prepare them for future opportunities,” Hawke said. “From learning what constitutes professional attire to how to communicate in the business world, FBLA provides students with an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to practical business situations.”

The FBLA concept was developed in 1937 by Dr. Hamden L. Forkner of Columbia University. The first high school chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee on February 3, 1942. In 1958, the first PBL collegiate chapter was chartered in Iowa. The Professional Division, originally the Alumni Division, began in 1979. Joining FBLA-PBL in 1994 was the FBLA-Middle Level for students in grades 5-9.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.

Three WKU students have been recognized by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Since 2007, more students from WKU have been recognized by the Goldwater program than from any other college or university in Kentucky.

Brittany Morgan of Glasgow, a junior in the WKU Honors College, and Sarah Schrader of Bowling Green, a student in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, have been awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships. Clarice Esch of Somerset, also a student in the Gatton Academy, received an honorable mention in the highly competitive, national program.

“These awards show the emphasis we place on applied, practical research at the undergraduate level, from the Gatton Academy through our Honors College,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The experience these students gain through research activity and interaction with faculty mentors will serve them well as they continue their academic careers and graduate to make a positive impact on the quality of life in our region.”

This success grows out of the efforts of both individual research mentors and WKU’s Goldwater faculty representative Kevin Williams. Dr. Williams, associate professor of chemistry and former Goldwater Scholarship recipient, took on the role of faculty representative in 2006. Additionally, the Gatton Academy, the Honors College and the Office of Scholar Development work to promote research endeavors and preparation for scholarship competitions.

Sarah Schrader
Sarah Schrader

Sarah Schrader, the daughter of Michelle and Steven Schrader, said the process of applying for and receiving the Goldwater Scholarship has solidified her desire to pursue a career in research. In the lab with Dr. Rodney King, associate professor of biology, she has been discovering a new virus that can only infect bacterial cells and is characterizing it based on its DNA and physical properties.

Schrader plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology or genetics and to become a research scientist in genetics. She attributes much of her success to the Gatton Academy for the many opportunities that the program offers as well as the Office of Scholar Development for helping to refine her Goldwater Scholarship Application.

“I would also like to thank my research mentor, Dr. King, for the immense amount of support and encouragement he has provided me throughout my time working in his lab,” she said.

Dr. King said he was excited to learn that Sarah had won a Goldwater scholarship. “Sarah is one of the most academically gifted students I have encountered in my career,” he said. “She has an insatiable appetite for learning and a remarkable work ethic. She is self motivated and tremendously disciplined. It’s been a privilege to watch Sarah’s potential for scientific research blossom during her time at WKU.  I’m very happy for her, and I’m very pleased that she has received such prestigious national recognition.”

Clarice Esch
Clarice Esch

Clarice Esch, the daughter of Carol and Joseph Esch, has been researching methods to utilize lichens to reduce the need for nitrogen-based fertilizers. Like Morgan and Schrader, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. after she completes her undergraduate career.

According to Esch, her research has shaped her thinking on her future. “Through this project,” she said, “I discovered a passion for conducting research and intend to continue conducting research throughout the rest of my college career and beyond.”

Esch is grateful for the support of her mentor, Dr. Martin Stone, Leichhardt Professor of Horticulture. Dr. Stone said that Esch is the most promising student that he has worked with in his career as a researcher.

“Her work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to grasp the concepts of our joint research over the past two years have been impressive,” he said. “But beyond her intellectual abilities, she is unassuming and a genuinely nice person to know in both the classroom and in the greenhouse. Students like Clarice come along infrequently in the career of a faculty member and I am fortunate to have worked with her.”

The Goldwater Scholarship Program seeks to recognize excellence in the sciences and to encourage talented students to pursue research careers. Dr. Williams said that being honored by the Goldwater Scholarship Program “is a testimony not only to classroom performance but also to potential and passion for a research career.”

For WKU students, he said,  “the Goldwater awards are a validation of their potential as scientists”—potential that Dr. Williams believes others will continue to recognize as these students move toward graduate education and research careers.

The numbers support Dr. Williams’ assessment of the award. Colleges and universities must nominate students for consideration, and the program limits four-year institutions to four nominations each year. In 2011, 275 scholarships were awarded from nearly 1,100 nominees. Scholarship recipients receive $7,500 annually to cover undergraduate tuition, fees, books, or room and board.

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping students on all WKU campuses and in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in the Goldwater Scholarship Program or other similar opportunities. Call Audra Jennings at (270) 745-5043 to schedule an appointment with the Office of Scholar Development.

About the Honors College at WKU: WKU is home to the only Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Created in 2007, the Honors College at WKU provides an intimate, highly selective learning environment where college-age gifted and high-achieving students can develop the skills to prepare them for success in the nation’s top academic and career opportunities. Contact: Drew Mitchell, (270) 745-2081

About the Gatton Academy: The Gatton Academy offers a residential program for bright, highly motivated Kentucky high school students who have demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Sixty students each year are admitted to the program through a competitive process. Instead of spending their junior and senior years in traditional high schools, students enroll in the Gatton Academy and live in a uniquely dedicated residence hall. The goals of the Gatton Academy are to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities and to prepare them for leadership roles in Kentucky.  At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565

Several Gatton Academy students found success while representing their local high school during district Governor’s Cup tournaments held in January.

The annual series of district, regional, and state competitions test students knowledge is a variety of content areas.  Students are selected to take exams in mathematics, science, social students, arts and humanities, and writing.  Teams of students also compete in Future Problem Solving and quick recall (academic team) matches.

Kentucky Association for Academic Competition (KAAC), the organization that sponsors the statewide tournament, does not allow the Gatton Academy to field its own team.  KAAC bylaws require students to compete for the school that receives Average Daily Attendance (ADA) monies from the state.

While Tim Gott, Director of the Gatton Academy, would love to field a team, he views the current system for competition as another facet of the relationship between the Academy and students’ sending schools.

“This is another great example of our partnership with the sending schools,” Gott said. ” The success of these students on the written assessments is something to celebrate with their home school and Gatton Academy.  Together, we are giving these outstanding young people the opportunities to excel and shine.”

Students will compete in regional tournaments around the state later this month.  Students placing in the top five at regionals in each event will advance to the state tournament in March.

Gatton Academy Students Placing in 2011 District Tournaments:

David Sekora — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 1st Place Science Assessment (District 8)

Christian Jolly — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 9)

Tejas Sangoi — 3rd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 10)

Jon Warren — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment (District 11)

Sarah Schrader — 1st Place Science Assessment, 2nd Place Composition, and 2nd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 13)

Michael Crocker — 3rd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 13)

Holly Morris — 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 13)

Ellis Shelly — 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 15)

Brandon Farmer — 5th Place Mathematics Assessment (District 38)

Tucker Joyce — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 1st Place Science Assessment (District 41)

Laura Claytor — 4th Place Mathematics Assessment (District 45)

Ben Rice — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 2nd Place Science Assessment (District 48)