The Gatton Academy's News Archive

On Saturday, May 10, The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science graduated 83 students from across Kentucky in their eighteenth graduating class. The ceremony took place at Van Meter Hall and was broadcast online for extended friends and family to enjoy. Dr. Lynette Breedlove, Director of The Gatton Academy, opened the day’s ceremony by recognizing Kentucky’s legislators, Western Kentucky University administrators and faculty, Gatton Academy staff and alumni, Kentucky educators, and the friends and family members of the Class of 2025. 

Dr. Julia Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy and Director of The Center for Gifted Studies, applauded the Class of 2025’s accomplishments, “Gatton Academy graduates, you have created an exceptional record during your two years as you have completed high school and launched your college career simultaneously. You have engaged in research, presenting at conferences and sharing your research on campus, as well as at conferences across the country.” To the graduating class, Roberts remarked, “Although you are being recognized as high school graduates today, you are atypical high school graduates. Congratulations to each of you!”

The Class of 2025 represents 39 counties from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Fifteen members of the class were selected as National Merit semi-finalists. 65% of graduates participated in faculty-sponsored research during their Gatton Academy experience. Additionally, 10 graduates completed the STEM+ Critical Languages sequences in either Mandarin Chinese or Russian. Among the graduates are seven students who were named Kentucky Academy of Science KJAS delegates and three who advanced to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). One student placed in the Top 300 of the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Four graduates won U.S. Department of State National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarships. Two graduates were awarded Questbridge full scholarships to top colleges. One graduate was named a Horatio Alger Kentucky State Scholar and another a Goldwater Scholar. These seniors completed 4381 hours of community service over two years, an average of nearly 53 hours per graduate.

As part of this year’s graduation ceremony, Dr. Lynette Breedlove invited the family of James Clark, a Gatton senior who died in September, to receive his honorary diploma, “James was a remarkable member of our community. Thank you for sharing him with us, as we are better for having known him.” The Gatton Academy opened the James Clark Memorial Makerspace in January in honor of James’s love for tinkering, and families were invited to see the new space Saturday afternoon.

The graduating class selected two student speakers: Emma Hyman, from duPont Manual High School (Jefferson County), and Jaime Mendez-Cano, from Paris High School (Bourbon County).

Hyman shared how her perspective has changed during her two years at The Gatton Academy and encouraged her peers to embrace staying present in their endeavors. “Inside and outside of Gatton, I’ve lived so much of my life in fear that I will regret my decisions later that I forget to live in the process. But Gatton changed that. Spending time with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met changed that. It took a long time for me to articulate this particular sentiment… but the real way I can define it… is living in the moment.”

Mendez-Cano thanked his classmates for the support and memories they gave him through the trials and triumphs of his Gatton experience. “If I had to use one word to describe my time at Gatton, it would be love. Why? Because being honest, there were many points where I wanted to quit… but it was you who made it all worth it, so thank you for being there with me in the high and the lows. But most importantly, thank you for being you!”

Mr. Danny Dunn, a Trustee of the Bill Gatton Foundation, was invited to be the commencement speaker this year in addition to the day’s gift announcement of $5 million to The Gatton Academy. Dunn honored Mr. Gatton’s legacy sharing some of his words of wisdom with the Class of 2025, “He thought it was important to study an area that you love, that you enjoy, that you like…. He said be completely honest and have integrity…. He would tell you to work hard. You cannot be afraid to work.” Dunn cited several more core beliefs of Mr. Gatton that he often shared when speaking and presenting.

The following 83 students from across the Commonwealth make up the graduating class of 2025:

Ibrahim Ali, South Warren High School, Warren County

Bailey Amyx, McCracken County High School, McCracken County

Austin Ellis Anderson*, Warren Central High School, Warren County

Thomas Ard, Apollo High School, Daviess County

Aanyaa Arora*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Luna Rena Asbell*, Riverview Opportunity Center, Bullitt County

Asa Gray Ashley, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Mahmood Ateyeh, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Brighton A. Bergner, South Warren High School, Warren County

Ava Blackledge*, Rowan County High School, Rowan County

Sam Bowling*, Riverview Opportunity Center, Bullitt County

Jamie Browder-Seguin, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Mike Bucks, Conner High School, Boone County

Bruno Castañeda, Henry County High School, Henry County

Zahra Chasmawala*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Luke Cissell, Woodford County High School, Woodford County

James Clark, Hickman County High School, Fulton County

Matthew Clark, South Oldham High School, Oldham County

Carson Cram, Owen County High School, Owen County

Jacob Dant, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Jacob DeBrot, Campbellsville High School, Taylor County

Emily Jo Detre*, LaRue County High School, LaRue County

Isabella Dilger, Larry A. Ryle High School, Boone County

Jo Elmore*, Woodford County High School, Woodford County

Alper Y. Er, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Harlee Evans, Madisonville N. Hopkins High School, Hopkins County

Maggie Ford*, Henderson County High School, Henderson County

Chealsea Gachagua*, Madison Central High School, Madison County

Koah Ghrist, Home School, Oldham County

Ashley Gledhill*, Owensboro Innovation Academy, Ohio County

Gabriel Scott Wang Gooden*, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Abby Goodin*, LaRue County High School, LaRue County

Elly Klaire Grogan, Murray High School, Calloway County

Ellie Haleman, Owensboro Catholic High School, Daviess County

Kate Hans*, Glasgow High School, Barren County

Flynn H. Harris*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Anna Quinn Hartman*, Allen County-Scottsville High School, Allen County

Ally Hauber*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Jace Hawkins, Daviess County High School, Daviess County

Hannah Paige Herrmann*, Grant County High School, Grant County

Elli Grace Hester, Grayson County High School, Grayson County

Emma Hyman*, duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County

Katie Isaacs*, University Heights Academy, Christian County

Nihal Jacob, South Oldham High School, Oldham County

Elijah Johnson, Home School, Daviess County

Kirstin Faith Johnson, Franklin-Simpson High School, Simpson County

Juwon Joung, West Jessamine High School, Jessamine County

Michael Kipelio, Madison Central High School, Madison County

Varshith Kotagiri*, Western Hills High School, Franklin County

Elizabeth Lanier*, Calloway County High School, Calloway County

Leo Lewis, Berea Community High School, Madison County

Eric Mack, Apollo High School, Daviess County

Jaime Pablo Mendez-Cano, Paris High School, Bourbon County

Irv Mesias-Guzman*, Carter G. Woodson Academy, Fayette County

Lincoln Nelle, Woodford County High School, Woodford County

Kaleb Nenoff, Christian County High School, Christian County

Lola Searcy Norman*, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Emma O’Nan, Greenwood High School, Warren County

Ethan Papp*, Apollo High School, Daviess County

Jill Patel, Daviess County High School, Daviess County

Rudra Patel, University Heights Academy, Christian County

Frankie Peak*, Central Hardin High School, Hardin County

Jonathan Philpot II*, Franklin County High School, Franklin County

Clark Pullen, Marshall County High School, Marshall County

Sydney Putnam*, Mercer County Senior High School, Mercer County

Mallory K. Quinn*, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Kenneth Richie Jr., John Hardin High School, Hardin County

Madison Lee Abigail Riddell, Estill County High School, Estill County

Taylor Katherine Roberts*, East Jessamine High School, Jessamine County

Maggie Rowton, Paducah Tilghman High School, McCracken County

C. Noelle Sanders, John Hardin High School, Hardin County

Dastin Scott*, Butler County High School, Butler County

Rehan Musa Shaikh, Ballard High School, Jefferson County

Maddox Simpson, Hancock County High School, Hancock County

Braydon Smith, Scott County High School, Scott County

Jack Sternberg, Bowling Green High School, Warren County

Daniel Thelen*, Corbin High School, Whitley County

Michael Ian Thompson, Henry County High School, Henry County

Skylar Turner*, Harrison County High School, Harrison County

Mabel Vilt*, Oldham County High School, Oldham County

Gavin Vittitow, Thomas Nelson High School, Nelson County

Saylor Wagner, Henderson County High School, Henderson County

Eldon Williams*, Grayson County High School, Grayson 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 is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.