WKU News

On Saturday, May 7^th, The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science graduated 77 students from across Kentucky in their fifteenth graduating class. The ceremony took place at VanMeter Hall and was also broadcast online for extended friends and family to enjoy. “We are excited to return to this beautiful venue to host this graduation for you as 2022 graduates. Although you are being recognized as high school graduates today, you are atypical high school graduates. Congratulations to each of you!” expressed Dr. Julia Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy.

The fifteenth graduating class of Gatton Academy seniors represents 37 counties from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Twenty-six members of the class were selected as National Merit semi-finalists. and73% of graduates participated in faculty-sponsored research during their Gatton Academy experience. Additionally, 17 graduates completed the STEM + Critical Languages sequences in either Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, or Russian. Among the graduates are six students who advanced to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Graduates won U.S. Department of State National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarships, and one was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar semifinalist. These seniors completed 4,451 hours of community service over two years, an average of 57.8 hours per graduate.

Dr. Lynette Breedlove, Director of The Gatton Academy continued, “Today is a day of celebration and reflection. These students have taken the most rigorous curriculum offered to any high school students in the nation. They left the comfort of their homes and established a level of independence that will impact their lives forever; and they have forged new friendships, which will grow exponentially in the years to come. These experiences have formed a foundation from which these exceptional young people can build lives of purpose, meaning, and service.”

The graduating class voted for two student speakers this year: Arivumani Srivastava, from Greenwood High School (Warren County), and Barrett Gibbs, from Corbin High School (Whitley County).

Arivumani spoke about taking advantage of every opportunity at Gatton, both academic and social. “I know first-hand how easy it is to see Gatton as simply a means to an end, and to look forward to when you’ve finally achieved everything you can imagine. If you’re always planning for the future, though, you’ll never truly get there.

With that, I encourage you all to look around and take it all in. What we have here is not something that can easily be put into words. It is the beautiful blend of people that I see here sitting before me, the countless moments we’ve shared together over the past two years, and the irreplaceable stories that we’ll carry with us from here for the rest of our lives.”

Barrett continued, emphatically encouraging his classmates to seize the day: “All we truly have is today, and we’ve gotta make the most of it. Don’t dwell on better times or better times to come. Do what needs to be done today. Tell the people you love that you love them. Read that book you’ve always wanted to read. Ask that crush out, you teenagers. Learn those skills, take those hard classes you’re scared of, and make your future an amalgamation of awesome presents… not just an amalgamation of waiting for the future to come!”

Dr. Bruce Kessler, Dr. Claus Ernst, and Dr. Uta Ziegler, retired WKU professors and advocates of The Gatton Academy, spoke to the graduating class in creative ways. Dr. Bruce Kessler, retired WKU professor of Mathematics and former department head performed an original song for the Class of 2022. The chorus includes,

“Don’t look down, you’re going up anyway,

Don’t look back, might miss something in your way.

Don’t back down, that direction is not your friend.

Don’t give up, when you fall down, get up, do it again.”

Dr Claus Ernst, retired professor of Mathematics and former faculty regent, and Dr. Uta Ziegler, retired professor of Computer Science, “have also been instrumental in the development of Gatton’s curriculum and the evolution of the Academy as a whole. Together, they developed and co-taught computational problem solving, also known as CPS, our most challenging class for most students, for fourteen years,” Dr. Roberts explained. They performed a sketch together, filled with bits of wisdom and humor, including “Gatton is the bestest. Follow your passion. Own your decisions. Make the world a better place. Listen to others. Things will work out differently than expected.”

These three professors have been instrumental to the shaping of the Gatton community for many years and were honored for their service during the Commencement. Each of them will have an item placed in the building with a plaque in recognition of their commitment to Gatton.

The following 77 students from across the Commonwealth made up the graduating class of 2022:

Nikhil Akula*, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Brendan Michael Allison, Meade County High School, Meade County

Peyton Elizabeth Ash*, South Oldham High School, Oldham County

Abigail Mackenzie Beth, McCracken County High School, Ballard County

Chetas Sanjay Chavda*, Hopkinsville High School, Christian County

Apirada Chetawatee*, Murray High School, Calloway County

Sahil Aryan Chhabra*, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Molly Clements*, Beechwood High School, Kenton County

Katie E. Compton*, Belfry High School, Pike County

Keegan Isaac Congleton*, Trimble County High School, Trimble County

Owen Campbell Craig, Todd County Central High School, Todd County

Taylor Evelyn Dooley, Edmonson County High School, Edmonson County

Connor Daniel Flick*, Connor High School, Boone County

Hayden Riley Flickinger*, Marshall County High School, Marshall County

Tristan James Fuchs, Walton Verona High School, Boone County

Hithan Garla, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Barrett Paul Gibbs, Corbin High School, Whitley County

Harrison Taylor Gover*, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Brooke Haden, North Oldham High School, Oldham County

Emma Kathryn Harris*, Hickman County High School, Hickman County

Jacob William Harris*, McCracken County High School, McCracken County

Leah Grace Hartman, Allen County Scottsville High School, Allen County

Jana Franziska Hebenstiel, Randall K. Cooper High School, Boone County

Anna Marie Humphrey, Metcalfe County High School, Metcalfe County

Kole McKlellan Ingram*, Knott County Central High School, Knott County

Xander Marco Jarvis*, Rowan County High School, Rowan County

Isabella Pope Karn*, Owensboro High School, Ohio County

Aidan Layne Kash*, St. Francis High School,  Jefferson County

Kentaro Kawata*, Larry A. Ryle High School, Boone County

John Joseph Kellogg, Nelson County High School, Nelson County

Thomas Joseph Kolb*, Atherton High School, Jefferson County

Sahil Naresh Krishnani*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Maya Elizabeth Lebedinsky, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Avery Josephine Lenihan*, Randall K. Cooper High School, Boone County

Allen Lin*, Larry A. Ryle High School, Boone County

Landon Everett Littleton, Ohio County High School, Ohio County

Sarisha Suresh Lohano*, Kentucky County Day, Jefferson County

Claire Elizabeth Lusk*, Randall K. Cooper High School, Boone County

Reina Kai Lykins, Rockcastle County High School, Rockcastle County

Donovan Gregory Marcum, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Elizabeth Katherine Mikeworth*, Rockcastle County High School, Rockcastle County

Shaleena Beth Nicole Millay*, Daviess County High School, Daviess County

Yasmina Muradova*, Muhlenburg County High School, Muhlenburg County

Chloe Byrne Murphy, Frankfort Christian Academy, Franklin County

Marcus Negrón, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Bella Nicole Norman*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Isabel Juliana Ocegueda*, Fort Knox High School, Hardin County

Andrew Samuel Park, South Oldham High School, Oldham County

Cristina Isabel Cabral Pauig, Corbin High School, Laurel County

Anish Varma Penmecha*, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Elisha Keith Piercefield, Webster County High School, Webster County

Angelo Matthew Mariano Pimienta*, Pikeville High School, Floyd County

Chaney Marie Robinson*, Calloway County High School, Calloway County

Haven Gabrielle Romero*, Lafayette High School, Fayette County

Lucy Elizabeth Rosys*, Piarist School, Floyd County

Mulamba Nestor Ezekiel Salama*, Louisville Collegiate School, Shelby County

Samirah Ndane Salifu*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Seren Catli Revoir Semrau, South Oldham High School, Oldham County

Sahil Parwez Shaik, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Kaaustaaub Srivatsan Shankar*, Eastern High School, Jefferson County

Lauren Cailin Sotingeanu*, North Laurel High School, Madison County

Arivumani Balin Srivastava*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

John Logan Stewart, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Moss Brynn Thacker, Whitley County High School, Whitley County

Christina Thao Mi Tran*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Nathan Hardee Turlington, Central Hardin High School, Hardin County

Kimberly Anne Turner*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Emily Jade Tutt, Jackson County High School, Jackson County

Katherine Grace Vanderpool*, Bullitt East High School, Bullitt County

Satyasree Vangoor*, North Oldham High School, Oldham County

Dexter Atticus Vilt, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Bhavya Vishal Vyas*, duPont Manual High School Jefferson County

Brendan James White, Central Hardin High School, Hardin County

Promise Faith Willhite*, Logan County High School, Logan County

Hunter Alexander Wimsatt*, Owensboro Catholic High School, Daviess County

Lily Eliza Workman, Randall K. Cooper High School, Boone County

Helen M. Xu, Rowan County High School, Rowan County

*Community Scholars footnote: These graduates are recognized for completing two semesters of research with a research outcome that is presented to a professional audience after being accepted through a vetted process OR four semesters of participation in STEM+, AND documenting 60 hours of service.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy has been named to Jay Mathews’ list of top-performing schools with elite students for eleven consecutive appearances and received the National Consortium for Secondary STEM School’s Innovation Partnership Award.