2025 Students of Distinction

Aubrey Wade: Rewriting the blueprint of her future

Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles featuring the Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. Peers, teachers or parents nominate students, who must be a graduating senior at a Peninsula School District school. A panel of community leaders selects students to be honored in one of seven categories: academics; athletics; career and technical excellence; community service; music, arts and drama; overcoming adversity; and science and technology.

These students will be celebrated during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr.

School: Gig Harbor High School

Category: Overcoming Adversity

Aubrey Wade remembers each of her high school homecoming dresses not just by their look, but by their price – and the effort it took to find them. None cost more than $10. Sourced from estate sales or thrifted by the pound at the Goodwill Outlet, each one tells a different story. But beyond the lace and fabric lies a deeper narrative: a young woman learning to let go of what was and embrace what could be.

Aubrey began high school with ambition and momentum. She joined cross country, basketball, track, and AAU basketball while also playing in the school band. She excelled in sports and loved the logical challenge of math and problem solving – imagining a future filled with motion and movement, both on and off the field. But by her sophomore year, something began to shift. Despite rigorous training, she was inexplicably fatigued during races. After months of confusion and concern, she was diagnosed with a chronic health condition that made it difficult to remain upright or tolerate physical exertion.

Aubrey Wade

The diagnosis changed everything. She had to walk away from the sports she loved and the college dreams she once clung to. But rather than allowing this moment to close a door, Aubrey slowly began to open others. She leaned more deeply into band, stepped into leadership roles within the percussion ensemble, and started to reimagine her future in engineering and music.

Her journey hasn’t been linear. There were times she resisted her diagnosis, fighting to hold onto old dreams while new limitations loomed. But over time, she embraced a different kind of strength – not measured in laps or finish lines, but in perseverance, leadership, and personal growth. With the support of teachers like Mr. Swanson and the opportunity to explore new communities through Running Start at TCC, Aubrey began to thrive again.

Each dress, in hindsight, mirrors that journey. There’s the shimmery gold dress from freshman year – the year of firsts and experimentation. The flared navy-blue number from sophomore year, shadowed by exhaustion and confusion. The sleek silver and black lace of junior year, reflecting the duality of resilience and grief. And this year’s dress, a composite of them all: floral and flowing, thoughtful and bold…just like Aubrey.

Now a part-time wheelchair user, she carries with her a unique lens on accessibility and inclusivity, one that fuels her passion to create better, more equitable systems. Whether it’s through electrical engineering or adaptive design, she hopes to make a difference for others navigating the world with similar challenges.

Aubrey Wade’s story isn’t just one of overcoming adversity – it’s about reimagining success. She is proof that strength doesn’t always look like speed, and dreams can change without losing their meaning. Through it all, she has learned to persist, to lead, and most importantly, to redefine what it means to move forward.