By Cassie Ipock, Communications Coordinator

 

The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky has accepted 98 Kentucky sophomores for the Class of 2028, including the first-ever from Dawson Springs High School.

Elanor Chappell, daughter of Mance Chappell and Mary Grace Chappell, known to Panther Nation as "Elly,"  was chosen for the prestigious academy after being evaluated based on ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, awards and accomplishments, extracurricular activities, responses to essay and short answer questions, and recommendation forms.

The acceptance process was somewhat intimidating for Elly.  "I was a little nervous about the interview process—the mock interview I had was with five or six of the staff at school, and the actual interview panel only had three people," she explained. "The people interviewing me were one of WKU's professors, one of Gatton's Alumni, and someone who volunteered to help interview—they asked me questions about my interests mostly, and I was much calmer than I thought it would be."

 The Gatton Academy was established in 2007 and is the Commonwealth's first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors.  Elly will enroll as a junior and will be a full-time student on the Western Kentucky University Campus pursuing her interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.   The Gatton Academy is one of only 15 programs of its kind in the United States.

Gatton has always been the goal for Elly.  "When I went to my first year of Camp Discover on WKU campus, I fell in love with the campus and the community the program fostered," she noted.  "I also found out about Gatton Academy that year, and I was determined to attend--the next three years of camp solidified that decision for me."

Due to taking advantage of previous opportunities presented to her at WKU, Elly is not intimidated at all about living the college life.  "I have attended several functions at Gatton Academy, including Orientation Day and four years of camp across three programs (Camp Discover, SCATS, and VAMPY)," she said. "I'll be going to my second year of VAMPY later this month—camp is always a blast, I make new friends every year and get to catch up with old ones, and we attend these classes to get a feel for college life and to explore topics I'm interested in." 

That doesn't mean she won't miss her friends and classmates at home.  "I'm a little sad that I won't be taking classes with my friends at DSHS—I was such a mess on graduation night when I was hugging my friends goodbye (on May 22)," Elly continued.  "I'm also worried that I'll get homesick easily, but Gatton has this thing where they make you go home one weekend of each month so I'll be alright."  

According to a press release, The Gatton Academy assists in preparing Kentucky to compete in a knowledge-based economy by increasing the number of scientists and engineers with ties to the state.

Elly will complete her junior and senior years of high school living in Florence Schneider Hall on the WKU campus.  At the end of her two-year course of study, she will graduate from high school with a minimum of 60 college credit hours and an Associate Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies from WKU.

"As much as I'm going to love attending Gatton, I'm going to equally miss Dawson Springs," Elly added. "I've grown up here basically all of my life and it will be hard to leave it."

Students from 36 counties make up the Class of 2028, and it's no surprise to Elly's teachers that she is one of them.   "It has truly been a privilege to have Elly Chappell in math class and to witness her academic dedication and growth as a student—she is an exceptionally dedicated and academically gifted student who consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, determination, and a genuine commitment to learning," said Mrs. Emilee Seeger, Instructional Coordinator for the Dawson Springs Independent School District.  "In mathematics, she continually challenges herself, excels in problem-solving, and approaches even the most difficult concepts with focus and perseverance—she sets a high academic standard and is the type of student every teacher hopes to have in the classroom."

Mrs. Seeger is excited to see how far this honor will take her former student.  "Her acceptance into The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science is an incredible accomplishment and a well-deserved recognition of her hard work and academic ability," she said.  "Being the first student selected from Dawson Springs High School for this prestigious honor is a tremendous achievement not only for her personally, but also for our school and community." 

DSHS math instructor Mrs. Tamara Rice agrees.  "Elly is an outstanding student with an exceptional work ethic—I have had the privilege of working with her in both math classes and academic team, where she has consistently demonstrated dedication, intelligence, and determination," she said.  "Over the years, she has shown that she is capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to, and I have no doubt that she has a very bright future ahead of her--I am incredibly proud of her accomplishment in being accepted to the Gatton Academy and excited to see all that she will continue to achieve."

While she is the first Panther chosen for this extraordinary opportunity, Elly would like to see other students from DSHS follow suit.  "It feels really exciting and a little intimidating to be the first Panther chosen to go to Gatton—I'm also still a bit in disbelief that I'm making school history," she concluded.  "If you're interested in WKU but don't know if you want to attend Gatton Academy or not, I recommend going to one of the camp programs they have to get used to life on campus."