Seniors have to prepare for their future by thinking ahead and laying down foundations for time management and work ethic. Nicholas Gale uses sports and music to motivate himself throughout the school year in preparation for college.

   Involved in multiple activities, Gale’s passions range from football to guitar. Despite having so many extracurricular obligations, Gale continues to excel in school, even through senior year. Gale hopes to attend either the University of Denver or Belmont in Nashville. He plans to get his degree in audio engineering and is on track to get a music technology certificate from Sheridan College at the end of senior year. With so many different activities and college classes, Gale has to manage both sports and school. “Staying up late and getting up early is what I do; it can be hard though, especially when you have a job, sports and college classes,” said Gale. “You have got to find time and you cannot make excuses. It just has to get done.”

   When he was younger, Gale played Guitar Hero and claims that the game was his inspiration for playing guitar later on. Gale participates in two active bands around Sheridan and plans to continue playing throughout his lifetime. When he was in sixth grade, Gale was given the opportunity to play in Razmick Sarkissian’s orchestra and was offered to play bass. Gale continues to play bass now in the Symphony Orchestra at the high school and is still taught by Sarkissian. “I met Nick in the sixth grade when he joined our orchestra program, and he has become a very fine person,” said Sarkissian. “He is a very fine young man, extremely polite and courteous. He is also a very fine string bass player.”

   Gale believes that there is a connection between math and music, and by doing both music and math, he has excelled in both subjects. “I took some theory classes at the Sheridan college and my general knowledge in orchestra and school really helped with that,” said Gale.

   Sarkissian has taught Gale throughout all of his years in the orchestra and understands how he learns and what he likes to do. “He approaches his work with utmost proficiency,” said Sarkissian. “He is a leader in class and he is very quick to learn.” 

   His love for music and academics spills over onto the field where Gale plays football for the Sheridan Broncs. “Football makes you look at the bigger picture of things, and I think football has given me a respect for staying healthy and keeping busy,” said Gale. “It really has helped me look at how I think I should behave as an adult, and coach Mowry really helps build character and attitude in the people who show up.” 

   “Nick is very aware of what is going on around him, and he understands what needs to happen and will go out of his way to do that,” said Jeff  Mowry. “He is also very hard working and he loves football and being a part of the team.” Gale’s character has not only grown through football but his athleticism has too. “He has come a long way from his freshman year,” said Mowry. “Football never came easy to him in the beginning, but because of his work ethic and attention to detail, he was very coachable and became a valuable player on the team this year.”

   Gale has been playing with this same senior football team since seventh grade and describes the camaraderie they share with each other. This year they really tried to reach out to the younger athletes and became great role models and leaders. Gale understands that the friendship of the team made them better this year and it helped them succeed at state. “We are so connected to each other and the feeling of companionship really helped us win games this year,” said Gale. “This year felt like the one year that everyone was on the same page and just really having a great time together.” 

   Both sports and music play a major role in Gale’s life and he has grown as a leader and an individual through both. “In football you just learn how to work hard and persevere, even when things are not going well,” said Gale. “Music has really helped me too. There is so much practice that goes into a good performance and you get a lot of value in that too.” 

   Gale is the son of Matt and Nadine Gale.