The scent of freshly baked-goods fills senior Amber Gale’s kitchen. She pulls the cake out of her oven, enjoying one of her lifelong hobbies. 

Gale has always had a knack for all things creative, ever since she was little, she has had a passion for art in its many forms.

“My mom has an art degree and she brought all of that into our home, we just have so many art supplies in our house,” Gale said. “I worked with everything when I was a kid, all types of markers,

paints, and crayons, anything we had. 

Her artistic upbringing has stayed with Gale her entire life. From traditional class assignments to art classes to coordinating ASB events, Gale’s creative side shines in all she does. 

“I love to bake, and I love cakes because there’s so much you can do to decorate them,” Gale said. “I also love to garden, it’s so satisfying to grow something and then be able to eat it afterward.”

Gale is passionate about the environment, beyond just gardening. In the fall, she will attend Cal Poly Humboldt and major in Environmental Science.

“I knew since I was a kid that I wanted to work in nature somehow , and Humboldt is perfect for it,” Gale said.

Her academic success at Buena has paved the way for her admission to Humboldt, earning the title of Salutatorian for the 2022/23 school year. Gale never expected to achieve a title like a salutatorian, but earned it through years of hard work and a lifelong passion for learning. Working with people from all walks of life has helped Gale grow.

“I’m pretty excited about it honestly, I didn’t expect it but I realized at the end of junior year that I was second in the class, and it was crazy,” Gale said.

Gale has taken a total of nine AP classes throughout her time at Buena. She enjoys pushing herself and taking interesting courses that challenge her. But something people may not expect from someone who is so academically successful is that she only does it for herself.

“I feel like a lot of people see my grades, they see who I am, and they think like ‘Oh you care so much about all this’ and I do care, but I’m not dying for the grade,” Gale said. “It’s more about me just doing my best, doing what I want to do, and striving to keep going. I do it completely for myself.”

Gale’s drive carries into the way she interacts with others. She makes sure to always include others and carry herself with kindness.

“Amber lights up any room she’s in, and laughs with her whole body,.” English teacher Kelly Herrera said.