By Josie Gale was first featured in a newspaper when she won a baby crawl race.
Twenty-two years later, with two majors and three minors on her transcript, Josie is eager to walk – not crawl – across the stage at graduation.
Josie, was in fact, named after Outlaw Josie Wales. Gale’s father, admiring the lifestyle and adventurous spirit of Western life, thought the name suited his daughter well.
“At the time that my brother and I were born, my dad was obsessed with Western movies and shows and cowboys,” Gale shared. “He had a whole room in the house with photos, paintings, and books all about cowboy life. He specifically liked Josey Wales and Jesse James.”
So the Gale family includes two outlaws: Josie and Jesse.
Josie was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in a sense, the story of her name has become a foreshadowing of the trials and ventures of her life. Much like Josie Wales, Gale forged her own path, not as an outlaw, but as a first-generation college student.
“Being a first-generation college student has actually been super interesting,” Gale said.
“Throughout my four years here at Carroll, I have learned many things that are drastically different than what my parents learned for their line of work.
“In that way, it has been really cool to be able to tell my parents about what I am learning in lectures and labs. In another sense, it really has shown me how important any type of education is whether it be a traditional college education, community college, trade school, or vocational.”
Gale is majoring in Biology (pre-med), with minors in neuroscience, psychology, and chemistry. Her journey has been filled with challenges, joys, and a desire to push the bounds of the mind and inquisition.
“I have completed many very interesting classes through my time here at Carroll, “Gale said. “Specifically, last semester I was in a neuroscience-based research lab where my lab partner and I studied the effect of Prevagen (homeopathic memory supplement) on learning and memory in fruit flies. We presented our results at SRF in April.”
An important lesson that Gale has learned is that success is not merely reaching the end goal, but also includes the journey.
“To me, success is measured not solely by what you accomplish, but how you accomplish it,” Gale shared. “It is important to go about achieving our goals in a way that will make us proud when we look back.”
Gale balanced a demanding academic calendar, while working two on-campus jobs and participating in extracurriculars. Gale was a resident Peer Minister in Borromeo Hall for the last two years, and was an integral component of the formation of praise and worship nights on campus.
“She is very driven and has an amazing work ethic that can be seen not only in her two majors and three minors, but also in the way she conducts herself,” said Katarina Kosiewicz, a senior nursing student from Keizer, Oregon. “She is strong in her faith, and in her love for her family. She always tries to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever possible.”
Although her ambitious schedule has not left a lot of free time, Gale has still been able to travel and experience new cultures in the summers. Gale studied abroad in Spain summer after freshman year; enjoyed a medical mission trip to Malawi, Africa, summer after sophomore year; and signed up for the Campus Ministry Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi the summer after her junior year.
“Immerse yourself in campus and make connections!” Gale stated. “College is only going to be as good as you make it. Get involved in events, activities, retreats, and clubs right off the bat.”
After graduation and taking the MCAT, Gale plans to move back to Minnesota, and work at a private practice and as a swim coach, while applying to medical schools. It is her hope to pursue a neurology career, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease research.
“My goal is to get into medical school at the University of Minnesota and to pursue an MD in neurology (neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropsychology),” Gale stated. “Eventually, I would like to travel to developing countries to practice medicine in communities that lack healthcare, similar to what I did on my mission trip to Africa.”
As always, Josie is looking forward to her next adventure, but now’s the time for reflection and gratitude, too.
“So far, I have done a lot more than I expected to have done,” Gale said.
“Study abroad, mission trips, earning my degree, preparing for medical school. I have quite a ways to go until I reach many of my goals. I look forward to pushing and challenging myself. I thank my friends, family, peers, and mentors for supporting me in my journey so far!”
As Gale says goodbye to Carroll, she leaves us with one last piece of advice that she received from her grandpa, that is very dear to her heart.
“Let go and let God.”
