STEM + Critical Languages

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STEM + Chinese  |  STEM + Russian

Critical languages are those recognized by the U.S. Department of State as being not commonly taught in the USA, but of vital importance for national economic and security interests.  The Gatton Academy strives to prepare each of our students with a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) background, fields that themselves are in high demand and vital to economic development.  By coupling STEM study with a critical language, we believe that we can educate a generation of students to accelerate towards internationally-connected careers that will enliven the Kentucky and American economies.

The Gatton Academy first introduced its STEM + Chinese track in 2012, followed by STEM + Arabic in 2013, and STEM + Russian in 2017. STEM + Arabic was discontinued in 2023.

Each language track works so that STEM + students take the same Gatton Academy STEM curriculum, but supplement their curriculum with one, progressively more-rigorous language course each semester.  They complete the two-year Gatton Academy program with at least four levels of collegiate-level critical language study accomplished.  

While the emphasis of STEM + Critical Language students' curriculum remains within the same STEM-areas the Gatton Academy requires for all students, STEM + students are offered leeway on only needing one STEM elective (rather than the usual three).  The third and fourth level language courses replace the other two STEM electives.  STEM + Critical Language students may start a research project in January of their first year, though completion of the STEM + track itself substitutes research and research outcome requirements to be named a Gatton Community Scholar at the time of graduation.

For students in the STEM + tracks, the Academy encourages applications to the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship program for summer experiential learning.  Other study abroad opportunities are also encouraged. 

Gatton Academy NSLI-Y Recipients:

• Victoria Allen (2011) - China

• Brandon Kerr (2011) - China

• Charlotte Humes (2011) - Jordan

• Paul Fleischmann (2012) - Morocco

• Grace Babbs (2013) - Morocco

• Sarah Angelle (2014) - China

• Ananya Sharma (2014) - India

• Meredith Bickett (2015) - Morocco

• India Blasser (2015) - Moldova

• Sam Booth (2015) - South Korea

• Rena Ryumae (2015) - South Korea

• Megan Brown (2016) - Morocco

• Corey Goodwin (2016) - Moldova

• Logan Nofsinger (2016) - China

• Emma Saarinen (2016) - Moldova

• Alexander Banaszak (2017) - China

• David Ewing (2017) - China

• Noemi Leibman (2017) - Estonia

• Benjamin Luckett (2017) - China

• Evan “Van” Poole (2017) - China

• Sarah Beth Sarver (2017) - Morocco

• Mattie Allara (2018) - Moldova

• Jonathan Bramley (2018)- Estonia

• Lillian Hamm (2018) - China

• Sarah Yaacoub (2018) - Jordan

• Tristan Clement (2019) - Moldova

• Bailey Knight (2019) - China

• Lea Mitchell (2019) - China

• Sarah Pedersen (2019) - Taiwan

• Zane Polley (2019) - Estonia

• Emma Poole (2019) - Morocco

• Abrar Rahman (2019) - Morocco

• Madeline Springate (2019) - Morocco

• Ian Storrs (2019) - Moldova

• Anna Strunjas (2019) - Russia

• Hazel Traw (2019) - Morocco

• Cat Appelman (2020) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Michael Givens (2020) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Melanie Grimm (2020) - Korean (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Margot Hare (2020) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Krupa Hegde (2020) - Turkish (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Jada Hunter-Hays (2020) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Sarah Pedersen (2020) - Taiwan, yearlong

• Lauren Taylor (2020) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Sasha Taylor (2020) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Janessa Unseld (2020) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Anaya Ali (2021) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Christine Belance (2021) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Morgan Burk (2021) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Sahil Chhabra (2021) - Hindi (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Ty Gordon (2021) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Brooke Haden (2021) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Laura Hanna (2021) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Emma Harris (2021) - Taiwan

• Krupa Hegde (2021) - Turkish (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Jada Hunter-Hays (2021) - Taiwan

• Elizabeth Mikeworth (2021) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Kharley Redmon (2021) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Seren Semrau (2021) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Emma Stone (2021) - Russian (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Lauren Taylor (2021) - Arabic (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Audrey Thacker (2021) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Satya Vangoor (2021) - Hindi (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Brendan White (2021) - Chinese (made virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic)

• Krishna Angal (2022) - Morocco

• Anna Crimmins (2022) - Morocco

• Gabriel Fortier (2022) - Kyrgyzstan

• Emma Harris (2022) – Taiwan, academic year

• Hank Helmers (2022) - Chinese (virtual)

• Kole Ingram (2022) - Jordan

• Holly McClure (2022) - Taiwan

• Elizabeth Mikeworth (2022) - Taiwan

• Quinn Miller (2022) - Chinese (virtual)

• Reagan Phelps (2022) - Estonia

• Samirah Salifu (2022) - Morocco

• Nathaniel Turlington (2022) - Kazakhstan

• Sophie Wielawski (2022) - Kyrgyzstan

• Desmond Harris (2023) - Latvia

• Mason Harlage (2023) - Estonia

• Caden Lucas (2023) - Morocco

• Alex Minter (2023) - Jordan

• Jayne Thompson (2023) - Taiwan

• Zachary Vandermolen (2023) - Taiwan