Background
Gwen grew up in Tyrena on Corellia as her parents ran one of the many resorts in the city. Tyrena being a city that focused heavily on the many arts, Gwen was well educated in many of them with the hope that she would become a well spoken lady. This of course was with the goal that she would marry well.
For the most part Gwen played the part easily. When spoken to she will reply with the most charming smile and kind words, no matter how much she may dislike you. She never lacked for friends and was always the most popular girl in school. Others would copy her style which of course was of the latest trends (though of course they never met her mother's idea of what a young lady should be wearing).
However, there was a side to Gwen that was hidden from the unobserving eye. Little actions that by themselves mean absolutely nothing. An occasional climbing on the railings of bridges, as a child going on top of the play areas that weren't designed for children to be climbing on, and being way to comfortable daring fate when crossing streets in front of the traffic.
When Gwen was old enough to learn to fly her father taught her everything he knew. Which wasn't much. But she was given a speeder to get her to and from class. This lead to her flying just a little to fast, pushing (sometimes blatantly) laws, and racing the boys who thought they were hot stuff. Which she then began winning.
One of the boy's she raced, name was Carson. Whom she then befriended. His father was a pilot who then taught her how to fly any ship she encountered. The rest of her childhood was spent sneaking out of her parents house, and coming up with reasons why she was never home while spending that time at Carson's house.
When she turned 18, Gwen was pressured by her parents to study art at the university her mother taught at. At her refusal, which was then followed by her announcement she wanted to fly led to her parents being devastated. However, they did do what they could to help her get into the Imperial Academy.
Despite their best efforts, she wasn't accepted. She then got a low paying job as a pilot courier for Carson's father. Shortly after, she came home from work to find her parents' house swarming with imperials. Later she was able to find out, that her parents had attempting bribery to get her into the academy. They were imprisoned and all their assets frozen. Without the means to get them out, Gwen left Corellia with a new found hate of the Empire.
Motivation
Overthrow the Empire