Hear their story.
The Law Zag alumni network prepares students for the real world. Along with mentoring their future colleagues, many Zag Law alumni also provide the funds to help future and current students attend Gonzaga Law through scholarships.
Peter Gale: A Passion for Public Service
Peter Gale, a third-year student and recipient of the Chester Chastek Endowed Scholarship, is one of the many Law students who has benefitted from his forebears’ generosity.
“Receiving the Chastek Scholarship was a blessing I never thought I would receive,” Gale says. “Acts of benevolence promote goodwill in society,” he continues, “and I hope to repay to others the generosity that has been shown to me.”
A firm believer in independence, Gale vowed to become “[his] own biggest and best resource.” Gale began working at age 13; as a law student, he managed a full course load while working at a paid position and unpaid internships with the General Counsel to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, the US Army JAG, and the Washington Attorney General’s Office. All of these internships overlapped, but he still made it work with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.
His desire to be the master of his own fate caused him to shy away from asking for help—even in the form of scholarships. However, when his post-graduate plans abruptly changed, “the future I had been planning became amorphous and unclear. Frankly, I felt lost,” he says.
When Gale took a breath and began re-planning his future, he realized that his passion for public service was undimmed. With the knowledge that he wanted to serve his community and the knowledge that public service careers did not make it easy to pay student loans, Gale realized that he did, indeed, need a hand. He decided to apply for the Chester Chastek Endowed Scholarship.
“Knowing that my loan debt had been reduced brought me such peace of mind, one I have not had since before I was in debt.” Gale still believes in the empowering nature of independence; however, he now understands that, “It is not a sign of weakness to allow others to help, when they have the means and wish to.”
Peter Gale says he cannot express the depth of his gratitude to the Chastek family. But he intends to give life to his gratitude. Along with becoming a leader within the legal community, Gale also intends to pay forward the Chasteks’ gift of financial assistance and self-worth that he received to future law students.
“When I was at my lowest point, the Chastek Scholarship inspired me to continue striving toward my goals,” he says, continuing, “Not only do they provide the material resources one needs to financially persevere, but they also provide a sense of affirmation. They make recipients feel like there are people that believe in them. And for some of us, that makes all the difference in the world.”
You Can Make an Impact
For generations, Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission of service has supported a rigorous, personalized and quality legal education designed to make our students compassionate and effective advocates. To continue this rich tradition of leadership success, we need the ongoing support of alumni and friends. We need you.
Gifts to Gonzaga Law may be utilized to support:
- Student scholarships
- Student organizations such as the Gonzaga Law Review
- A legal clinic where students assist with real cases under the supervision of real attorneys
- And so much more, as we update core programs and introduce new initiatives