BreAnna Gasque recently got her first taste of the 'Big Apple' as she and approximately 20 other students visited New York City.
While Gasque loved the trip, she was definitely ready to come back to Franklin County. Hopefully, when she finishes her education in a few years, Gasque will feel the same way.
Gasque is the valedictorian of the Tharptown High School Class of 2018. When contacted by the Free Press recently, Gasque was on the school trip in New York City.
“I think the Statue of Liberty was my favorite thing to see," she said. "I knew I wanted to see it before I went, and seeing it was awesome. I loved being in New York, but by the end of the trip I was ready to come home because I love living here so much."
The daughter of Andrew and Bonita Gasque, BreAnna finished first among the 39 students in her graduating class. Gasque said a teacher many years ago got her thinking about the possibility that she could be at the top of her class.
“I had an idea I might make it. In the fourth grade, a teacher told me I had the potential to be valedictorian one day,” Gasque said. “That was the first time I ever thought about it and how it would feel to be number one in the class. I worked really hard and wanted to be number one.”
Gasque will attend the University of North Alabama, where she will pursue a degree in nursing. She plans to become a registered nurse, following a path of nursing in her family.
“My grandmother was an LPN, and she told me so many stories about how she saw so many people and was able to impact lives," Gasque said. "I want to do something where I go to work daily and feel like I'm helping someone. Nurses not only help heal people, but I want to talk to the patients and become their friend."
Gasque was active in many school activities at Tharptown. She was a member of the THS volleyball team since the eighth grade. She also played softball and cheered multiple years in high school. Gasque was selected to serve on the Alabama High School Athletic Association Student Leadership group and said she learned a lot from participating in that program.
“I was one of sixteen in the whole state chosen to be part of it," she said. "We went to Montgomery in eleventh grade and this year to take part in a leadership conference. They worked with us on becoming good leaders in our school There were so many students from bigger schools, and I had the chance to meet people from all over the state.
“One of our speakers talked about a concept involving his 'I Believe' list. You can't demonstrate what you believe unless you know what you believe. We prepared a list on what we believe, not just in our faith but in life. It helped me realize what I believe and to get along and learn from each other in that way."
Gasque was from one of the smallest schools represented on the AHSAA Student Leadership program, something she saw as an advantage.
“There were so many opportunities to be a leader at my school," she said. "In bigger schools I don't think students have the opportunity we had at Tharptown to be close to everyone, to know everyone and hopefully impact everyone.
“It's amazing to think some high schools have five hundred or more in their class and you might only know twenty of them. Graduating with a small class, we see each other in town, know each other and share experiences and remember the things that shaped us. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Gasque said her involvement in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was one of the most impactful activities she was involved in at Tharptown. She believes her faith will be important as she pursues a career in trauma nursing.
“In FCA, we have the opportunity to share with others our love of Christ at school, and that was very important to me because not everyone gets that opportunity,” Gasque said. “I really feel like I'm a strong person because of my faith. As far as nursing, I know I'm going to see some really bad things. But as a person of faith, I can be the one there during others' hard times."
Gasque received a UNA Vanguard scholarship in the amount of $5,500 per year. She also earned a $1,000 valedictorian scholarship and a $1,000 leadership scholarship. Gasque was one of several Franklin County students to earn a $5,000 NaphCare scholarship for students pursing careers in health care. Gasque received a $1,750 scholarship from There's A Way, Inc, and she received a $1,000 scholarship from the Grand Masonic Lodge. Gasque is ready and excited about the nursing program at UNA.
“I chose UNA because of the scholarship, and I didn't want to turn that down," she said. "Their nursing program is being renovated, and new things are coming, and I'm real excited about that. It's a good bit bigger than Tharptown, but I'm ready for that. UNA will give me time to make sure nursing is what I want to do, and it will prepare me well for that career.”
As far as her valedictorian speech goes, Gasque hopes to convey one primary message to her fellow graduates.
“I've thought about this for a very long time," she said. "The message I hope everyone gets from my speech is that life is what you make it. Even in very hard times when we want to give up, there is light at the end of the tunnel."
