Addie Gage BS/MS’26 finds strength in community at Willamette

A week before her first collegiate meet as part of Willamette’s Track & Field team, Addie Gage BS/MS’26 suffered a major knee injury that kept her off the track for two years.

In that moment of adversity, Addie learned the meaning of Willamette’s motto: “Not unto ourselves alone are we born.” Even though she couldn’t practice with the team, Addie’s teammates rallied around her and supported her through a difficult recovery. Now as a senior, she’s living out her dream of being a collegiate track & field athlete, even qualifying for conference championships.

She’s found that sense of community in everything she’s accomplished at Willamette.

“Willamette became a second home away from home because of the communities I’ve found within each of my interests and passions,” Addie says. “At a university with a small student-faculty ratio, it is easier to make connections with my peers and professors.”

Addie is a Computer Science and Data Science double-major and is about to finish her Masters in Data Science thanks to Willamette’s 3+1 dual-degree program — but she was initially a bit hesitant to pursue the subject.

All that changed when Addie took an introductory computer science course that helped give her the confidence to take on the subject.

“That class helped me realize I was skilled at thinking like a computer scientist and enjoyed coding, and that was when I knew it was the right choice,” Addie says.

Now she’s even added a Mathematics minor to her academic toolkit, mastering advanced topics like graph theory and linear algebra. The experience has made Addie a more flexible and adaptable thinker, who can confidently take on new challenges. She plans to apply that skillset to everything she does in the future.

“I became more confident in myself and in my ability to learn new things,” Addie says. “It’s not just the knowledge I gain, but the skill of learning that is important. Because of the various classes that challenged me and shaped my thinking, I can pick up new things quickly in a job or internship setting.”

As Addie finishes up her Master’s in Data Science this summer, she’s looking forward to finding ways to use her degree to make a positive impact in areas such as accessibility development — using data to help make digital tools open to everyone.

“Because of Willamette, I have access to networking opportunities and industry connections to help set up my career,” Addie says.

With the skills and connections she’s gained at Willamette, Addie is confident that she’ll find her place in the exciting world of data science.

“Data science touches so many industries that there's a lot of ground to explore,” Addie says. “I'm excited to keep learning and building on the foundation I've developed at Willamette.”