A Golden Opportunity For Two LCHS Sophomores
Each year, on average, ninety-five Kentucky sophomores are accepted into a highly competitive academy. These students are able to fast-track their education through their junior and senior years to the point of taking college-level courses while still high-school age and even have the opportunity to study abroad.
This program is The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, hosted at Western Kentucky University, and LaRue County this year has not only one but two current sophomores who have been accepted into the program.
For Abby Goodin and Emily Detre, the latter half of their high school career will look much different than it has so far. Living in a dorm on WKU’s campus specifically for the Gatton Academy students, attending classes alongside traditional college-age students, and getting into their post-high school level classes earlier than normal is something they are very much looking forward to as Detre explains, “I want to be a physical therapist and I just figured that since Gatton is such a great STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) based program, I could get ahead in my research. I figured that if I go there and start getting my programs ready, I could have a really solid baseline so I can know what to expect. And even if I happen to change my path for a career, I’ll still have a really good math base.”
The motivation for Goodin is similar, education is going to be a big part of her future with her desired career, leading to this being a great way to get moving in that direction, “I want to be a doctor and right now I'm thinking about being a psychiatrist. That's a lot of school and I want to get ahead, so two years early is really, really good. Also, it's just like a really great opportunity to take challenging classes. The research element appears to be really cool too.”
As previously mentioned, it is a highly competitive program to get into. Goodin describes just how strenuous it is, “For the application, we had to write three essays, and then we had to get a bare minimum of two recommendations (we both got four), one from a STEM teacher and then one from a community member. Then you submit your application and you go to interview day. There are also tests that go into determining who is accepted into the program.”
The mission of LaRue County Schools is straightforward: to create a future-driven school system focused on the whole child, where no learner is ever marginalized. In this instance, having a partner in WKU’s Gatton Academy is a phenomenal step towards creating opportunities for learners who are particularly interested in STEM careers. As Detre concludes, it is a unique opportunity they might not have otherwise, “It just a really good way to step out there, get straight into a lot of the programs you want to do in order that you can go ahead and move on once you graduate.”
