Pursuing Her Dreams

Josephinum Academy junior Gabrielle Nash has big dreams for her future.

“I want to be a forensic scientist,” she shared. “Probably a little bit because of Criminal Minds, but also because I grew up with a lot of police in my family. I knew a lot of law enforcement, but never anyone in the science field.”

But she’s not stopping there. In addition to her interest in criminal justice, “I also have a passion for art,” she added. “And I like studying psychology and everything around it. I could also be a counselor or a therapist. And my dream career, even though I probably wouldn’t pursue it full-time, would be in music. I think I want to do that as a side hobby.”

As she explained with a laugh, “I have a lot of different interests!”

And Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart gives her the space and opportunity to explore them all.

Gabrielle arrived at The Jo with a healthy dose of hesitation. “Josephinum wasn’t my first pick, actually,” she explained. “But I had experienced a racist incident at another school, so we were trying to find a place that was welcoming and kind to people who look like me.”

“When I came to The Jo, it was so welcoming and kind…and the rest is history.”

Over the last three years, Gabrielle has established herself as a student leader. She joined the volleyball team and performed with the cheer team. She is a part of Josephinum Ambassadors Council (JAC) and the National Honor Society. And when she thinks about what makes Josephinum Academy so special, it’s this ability to explore, learn, and pursue interests that comes to mind.

“I remember this time that I had to practice for my performance for cheer then go right to the art fair to present a piece,” she recalled. “The beautiful thing was that I could do both. The Jo gave me the opportunity to do both. I can explore everything I’m interested in at The Jo without being judged or told I can’t do them all at once.”

Now, Gabrielle is beginning to think about what’s next. Her junior year has been full of ACT and SAT prep, and she is building a list of dream schools whose applications she’ll start soon—a list that includes the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, and Yale.

And she continues to think about what her impact and legacy could be if she pursues a career in law enforcement or forensic science. 

“Right now, there is obviously something wrong with the system on the inside that makes it bad on the outside,” she noted. “But I believe the firm foundation of the police department is to help people—and that’s what I want to do. When it’s causing people pain, there’s a problem. I want to fix that.”

Gabrielle is ready to use her voice—a voice that has only gotten stronger at Josephinum Academy—to create positive change in our community.

“When I think about the things I’ve learned at The Jo,” she said, “the first thing that comes to mind is learning to speak my mind. When you do, you have two options—you either get corrected with facts, which help you grow, or people agree with you and you get affirmed. Either way, it’s great. I’m glad The Jo has taught me to speak out.”

We can’t wait to see what Gabrielle does with her bold, brave, world-changing voice!