Gretchen Henneman ’24

Growing up in the Bradford community, Gretchen Henneman always had a strong passion for her local community and always envisioned herself on the Pitt-Bradford campus. But when the COVID pandemic hit, she was forced to spend her early years in college learning online through another university.

So, when the time came when she was able to experience college in person and on campus, she could hardly wait to get to Pitt-Bradford. And the campus community didn’t disappoint. In addition to her involvement in extracurriculars, Gretchen’s eyes have been opened by the depth of hands-on preparation she’s received as an early level education major.

“I believe that the amount of classroom experience prior to graduation is what sets the Pitt-Bradford education program apart. The amount of time spent in my placements in the field at different school districts has made me more confident in entering the education profession.”

Henneman is taking the experience she gained at Pitt-Bradford to Olean, N.Y., where she will teach second graders at Washington West Elementary School.