Natalia Pragale ’27 creates legacy of leadership, character and service

 

Senior Natalia Pragale's impact reaches nearly every corner of Culver Girls Academy, where the swimmer, scholar and student leader has earned respect for her character, citizenship and ability to lead by example.

"Everything she does is something that you want somebody to follow," swim coach Sarah Youvan said. "She works hard, she shows up early, she stays late, she communicates. She's coachable. Since day one on my team, she has led by example."

Rebecca Hodges, Ph.D., director of the Global Studies Institute and advisor for Culver’s Model U.N., praised Pragale as well.

"As a recipient of leadership opportunities and scholarships from others and then as a leader and mentor inviting other people in, she's an excellent leader on both fronts," Hodges said.

Pragale's journey to Culver began thousands of miles away.

Born in Los Angeles and raised largely in Saudi Arabia, where her father worked after serving in the Navy, Pragale attended an American school before arriving at Culver as a freshman. An introduction from James Fitzgerald ’87 helped her discover Culver Academies, an elite leadership-oriented boarding school in northern Indiana.

What she found was a community that challenged her to grow. After arriving as a quiet, uncertain freshman, Pragale is now a confident, highly visible student leader.

“I've really become more outgoing and a better leader," she said. "It's changed my perspective on a lot of things and shaped me as a person. I feel a lot more ready to go into life."

That growth is apparent across campus.

 

 

She serves as president of both Model U.N. and the Global Studies Institute, helping organize events that encourage students to explore complex international issues and think beyond themselves.

In Model U.N., she is helping plan the club's annual in-house conference,  designed to bring more students into conversations about politics and global affairs.

"Last year was the first year that we did it," she said, "and we're planning to do it again this year so we can get more people on campus into Model U.N., or just at least interested in talking about global issues."

For Pragale, however, the most valuable part of Model U.N. is not public speaking or awards.

"It's working with other people to come to solutions," she said. "A lot of people think Model U.N. is just about speaking and writing papers. What they don't see is the collaboration behind the scenes."

Her emphasis on cooperation reflects the leadership style she has cultivated across campus.

Her interest in world affairs began long before she arrived at Culver.

"I've been doing Model U.N. since I was in middle school in Saudi Arabia," she said. "And my dad was in the military, so he likes reading up on global issues. I guess I just picked up on that."

That interest naturally led her to the Global Studies Institute, where she has become one of the organization's most visible student leaders.

Pragale earned a Global Studies Institute scholarship that funded a Global Pathways Spring program trip to Greece. Following the trip, she shared her experiences with fellow students and encouraged others to pursue similar opportunities.

While she thrives in academic leadership positions, athletics remain a major part of her Culver experience.

 

 

A three-year state qualifier in swimming (hoping to make it again this year), Pragale competes in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke, setting the school-record time of 1 minute 10.03 seconds. She also was part of the 200-medley relay that set the school record in 2025.

Swimming nearly wasn't part of her Culver story.

"I didn't even know that I would swim when I came here," she said.

After difficult experiences with health and coaching before arriving at Culver, she considered stepping away from the sport.

"When I came to Culver, I was like, I want this to be like a fresh start," she said. "But then I met Coach Youvan and she encouraged me to come back to swimming."

The decision proved transformative.

Pragale became one of the team's top competitors and, as a junior, was selected as a captain, an uncommon honor for an underclass student.

"When you have somebody who is a junior that leads the way she does, sometimes she can overshadow somebody who's in a leadership position because they're following her," Youvan said. "She stood out as the right person at that time."

Youvan said Pragale's leadership has always been rooted in actions rather than words.

"Natalia is a leader by showing. She leads by doing," Youvan said. "She's also a cheerleader, which is great. She's encouraging. She's constantly being positive with her teammates, encouraging them and teaching them to do bigger and better things."

 

 

Pragale describes her own leadership style much the same way.

"I feel like my leadership style is modeling the way, because I'm not always the most vocal leader," she said. "I am when I have to be, but I feel like just being the person that people can look up to, someone who has integrity and who's always doing the right thing, is my leadership style."

That philosophy has guided her work as a dorm secretary, hall prefect, junior leadership training prefect and current dining hall chair. It also shapes how she approaches leadership in athletics.

"Just being the example, doing the right thing, doing the set, encouraging the people in your lane and the people that are around you," she said.

As she prepares for graduation, Pragale is considering paths that would combine her interests in service and medicine. She hopes to attend the Naval Academy or a university with a strong ROTC program before pursuing a career as a military physician.

Looking back, Pragale credits Culver's culture and people with helping her discover strengths she never expected.

"I've met some of my best friends here and people that I can't imagine that I would have met if I went to my school back home," she said. "There's just so many opportunities here that I wouldn't have taken up if I wasn't here."

At a school where character, citizenship and leadership are among its highest priorities, Pragale's greatest achievement may not be the records she has broken, the conferences she has led or the positions she has earned. It may be the example she has set for those who follow.