Hood River’s Struck cast in new ‘Survivor’ series

Brooke Struck, a fifth-generation Hood River native, went to Guatemala to film the series right after her graduation from Pepperdine University in May.

“She’s very positive, very intelligent, and very good at problem solving,” said Sue Gay, Brooke’s mother. “She’s physically strong — a runner — and mentally strong; not a real emotional, fall-apart kind of girl. And she’s got pioneer blood, so maybe these things will help her do well on the show.”

Though the series has finished filming, Gay has no idea how her daughter fared. Every time she has asked Brooke anything at all, the response has been “Watch the show.”

Brooke, 26, the daughter of Dr. Tony and Sue Gay, graduated in 1997 from Hood River Valley High School and went on to Oregon State University, where she earned International and Political Science degrees, minoring in Spanish. After graduation she spent a year with the Americorps program, then entered the law school in Pepperdine.

“But even though she’s been away from Hood River for awhile, she still thinks of it as ‘home’,” Gay said.