Bre Bianco spent her childhood dreaming of becoming a teacher. A talented musician, Bianco enrolled at Seton Hill to pursue study in music education.

While still a student at Seton Hill in 2019, Bianco began working at the Greensburg YMCA as a teacher for the Before and After School Enrichment (BASE) program within the Hempfield Area and Greensburg Salem school districts.

“My first day at the Y confirmed that I was on the right path. I knew then that working with children was my true calling,” Bianco said.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The summer of 2020 was particularly challenging. It was my first time working at the YMCA’s summer camp, and I fell in love with it almost instantly,” Bianco said. “Unfortunately, just three weeks into the camp, we had to close due to COVID-19. It was a tough time for everyone, and it added a layer of uncertainty to my upcoming student teaching in the fall.”

Student teaching in the fall of 2020 was nothing like what Bianco had expected: Teaching the same lessons multiple times to different groups of students in a hybrid schedule and taking over when the middle school band teacher contracted COVID.

“The experience taught me so much about adaptability, resilience, and the importance of being there for students, especially in challenging times,” Bianco said.

After graduating from Seton Hill, Bianco continued working with the Greensburg YMCA. After a promotion to School Age Child Care Director in October 2023, Bianco faced a daunting challenge: the BASE program and a school age summer camp were on the verge of closure due to declining enrollment and financial losses – a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bianco worked quickly to save the programs by increasing summer camp enrollment above the goal, securing a grant for field trips and helping turn a profit for the first time since 2020, ultimately saving the programs from being shuttered. Today, Bianco employs several Seton Hill students and alumni as child care workers at the YMCA.

“Looking back, the pandemic forced me to adapt in ways I never anticipated, but it also provided me with the opportunity to grow and to make a meaningful impact on my community,” Bianco said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished at the Greensburg YMCA, and I’m excited to continue this journey, supporting and nurturing the next generation of students.”

For Bianco and other members of the Seton Hill University Class of 2020, the end of their college careers was not what they anticipated.

Completing classes online, graduating in the midst of a pandemic, and heading into a world in lockdown forced them to reach deep within themselves to exhibit a resiliency that has led them to experiences they never expected.

In spite of the hazards they faced, they moved forward.

And they have transformed themselves and the world around them.

Theatre Majors Adapt

Many 2020 graduates found themselves completely changing their plans as a result of the pandemic.

For theatre majors Cameron Nickel and Gwen Little that meant adapting to new realities. Nickel, who graduated with degrees in Theatre Performance and Business Administration, was supposed to attend graduate school in England to earn an MFA in International Acting, but decided that it would be better to remain in the U.S. during the crisis.

“It was a tough decision to make, but ultimately I had to keep my own health in mind and delay my graduate studies for at least a year,” he said. “In that gap, though, I began work utilizing my business degree that I also received from Seton Hill, and was able to prepare myself better financially for graduate school. Having that double major from SHU really came in handy.”

During his gap year, Nickel found work as a logistics analyst for Lanxess Corporation near Pittsburgh. When he was ready, he enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, earning his MFA in Theatre Performance & Pedagogy.

He continues to use both of his degrees, maintaining a full-time job while performing in professional theater around the Pittsburgh region, including with companies like City Theater Company and Quantum Theater. He is also an educator, teaching theater at various studios, theater companies and schools. This fall, he has been teaching acting classes to young people at the Center for Theater Arts in Mount Lebanon.

“Seton Hill definitely prepared me for the challenges that I faced after graduation. Pursuing a double major is no easy feat, and it helped me develop many of the skills I have relied on,” he said. “Even in both my business and creative work today, I find myself recalling experiences that help me get through the tough days.”

Little was supposed to move to Atlanta after graduation to take on a management position with Marriott, but COVID canceled that opportunity.

When that door closed, Little, who majored in musical theatre with a minor in hospitality and tourism, took on a management role in retail for a short time before landing with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts.

Now in her third full time role with the company, she currently serves as Manager of E-Commerce, focusing on all aspects of design, product assortment, and revenue for the online retail aspect of Hersheypark, the Hershey Bears AHL hockey team, The Hotel Hershey, Hershey Lodge and The Spa at the Hotel Hershey.

Little is grateful that Seton Hill allowed her the flexibility to pursue opportunities that would allow her to be well-rounded. That experience has opened her up to growth and development within Hershey Entertainment.

“I love being part of an organization that gives back and has a greater purpose,” she added. “Hershey Entertainment and Resorts was created to provide for the Milton Hershey School, which is a boarding school for underprivileged kids. I love volunteering with the kids throughout the year and knowing that my work and any revenue generated is benefiting the next generation at the end of the day.”

Teaching to a Screen

When the world shut down in March 2020, Mercedes Holets was in the midst of her student teaching experience at Central Elementary in the Elizabeth Forward School District. 

At first, she wasn’t sure what that would mean for earning her teaching certificate. But when the district started teaching students online, Holets reached out to the administration and got the green light to finish her student teaching online as well.

Originally, Holets planned to focus solely on her graduate studies at Seton Hill during the 2020-21 school year, but then she received a call from Elizabeth Forward’s superintendent asking if she’d like to come in for an interview for an online seven-week substitute teaching position in fifth-grade reading.

“This was my very first experience teaching, but it was challenging because I could only see a bunch of black boxes on my screen, and perhaps, if I was lucky, a student’s face,” she said. “It was difficult knowing that other teachers were interacting with their students in person while I was alone in my virtual classroom.”

When that position ended, she was offered another long-term substitute opportunity teaching fourth graders online, and was later hired full-time. She was given a space in the back room of the nurse’s office from which she taught.

“The pandemic was a difficult time for teaching, and that year was arguably the hardest of my career,” she said.

“I spent most of my days isolated, walking into school alone, teaching alone, and leaving alone. The only bright spot that year was Nurse Anne. She would stop by every day, sometimes multiple times, to ask how I was doing and encourage me, reminding me that I was doing a great job. Her visits, even if brief, were my saving grace and the reason I pushed through each day.”

During that first year of teaching, Holets was also attending graduate school and earned a Master of Education degree in Innovative Instruction and an Adaptive Online Teaching Certificate in 2021 from Seton Hill.

Still, there was trouble ahead. Holets was furloughed at the end of the 2020-21 school year, but a week before the 2021-22 school year began, she was offered a position teaching fifth-grade English Language Arts, this time in person.

“It was stressful because I felt like a first-year teacher all over again, having to decorate my classroom, establish classroom management, and build relationships with my students,” she said.

And while she was furloughed again at the end of that year, Holets has since established herself with a full-time position teaching fifth-grade ELA in the district.

“The pandemic taught me resilience and how to quickly adapt in situations,” she said. “Teaching is an ever-growing and developing field, and I hope to continue to grow within that field to make a true difference within my students’ lives.”

Finding Unique Opportunities

Even as an undergraduate student at Seton Hill, Charles Stull was pursuing opportunities in politics. Stull was elected as a Gilpin Township Supervisor in his home community in Armstrong County, Pa., at age 19 as a fulltime Seton Hill student – an experience which he has leveraged to earn a full-time position as Borough Manager in Ford City, Pa.

Stull balanced a job in retail with his studies but was laid-off due to the pandemic, allowing him more time to dedicate to his position as Gilpin Township Supervisor.

“With fewer distractions, I was able to focus on completing more projects for the township, which in turn deepened my knowledge and understanding of local government,” Stull said. “In hindsight, that time was incredibly beneficial for my career development. Once the lockdown ended, I had the opportunity to work in the Armstrong County Commissioners office, as well as the elections and assessment offices. This additional experience gave me a broader perspective on local government operations, which has been invaluable in my current roles.”

“The challenges brought by the pandemic were tough, but they also created unique opportunities for me to grow in ways I hadn’t anticipated, furthering my passion for public service,” he added.

Stull became Borough Manager of Ford City in December 2023 at a time when the community was seeking stability after a period of turnover in the position. Stull, a political science graduate, established relationships with Ford City officials through his role in creating the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department, of which Ford City is a member.

In his Borough Manager role, he oversees the community’s daily operations, manages the budget, ensures compliance with regulations, and collaborates with Borough Council and staff to address the community’s needs.

“It’s been immensely rewarding to see the positive outcomes we’ve achieved, whether it’s advancing critical projects, addressing significant infrastructure challenges, or enhancing the quality of services provided to the residents in less than a year,” he said.

New Perspectives Gained

Sawyer Patrick said she took a leap of faith after graduating with a degree in biology by heading to Temple University School of Pharmacy.

Her leap paid off. Patrick graduated from the program earlier this year as the class valedictorian and began a postdoctoral position as a U.S. Medical Affairs Fellow with Alexion Pharmaceuticals in Boston. She will be rotating through various roles at Alexion, a company that focuses on developing treatments for rare diseases, throughout her two-year fellowship.

“The pandemic put everything into perspective. It made me consider where I really want to be in the future and what my goals are in life,” she said. “I really relied on my mentors from Seton Hill. They were excellent resources and helped guide me in the right direction post-graduation."

“SHU played a significant role in developing my future aspirations, work ethic, and determination to succeed,” Patrick added.

Flex Time

Fardan Allen gave up on a lifelong dream and pursued a new passion. 

Allen, a member of Seton Hill’s football team who earned All-Conference honors, had poured everything into preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft. But the pandemic canceled nearly every opportunity to show NFL scouts he had what it took.

Allen knew he needed to pivot.

A dynamic student leader during his time on campus, Allen recognized he had developed a passion for student affairs, and he turned to the connections he had made at Seton Hill to guide him.

Fardan decided to continue his education, earning a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Slippery Rock University in 2022. He currently works as an academic advisor in the ACE program at Buffalo State University, where he previously served as assistant director of student leadership and engagement.

“The thrill of planning events that brought students together, the joy of mentoring underclassmen navigating their own journeys, and the responsibility of advocating for student voices in administrative discussions — all these moments crafted a narrative where leadership wasn’t just a role, but a powerful avenue for creating change at Seton Hill University,” he said.

“It was at Seton Hill that I truly cultivated my love for higher education. My experiences there instilled in me a dedication to supporting future generations of learners, inspiring me to pursue a career dedicated to fostering growth within academia.”

Finding Yourself

Rachel Sproat was pushed out of her comfort zone.

Sproat, a dietetics and nutrition graduate, was unsure what the marketplace would hold during the pandemic, so she decided to go to graduate school at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

But she didn’t have a hard time finding a job at all. Shortly after starting graduate school, she was hired as a dietitian at UPMC Western Maryland and relocated two hours from home in a town where she knew nobody.

In her role, she educates the community through one-on-one medical nutrition therapy and group classes. She has led the development of new initiatives such as a class for patients experiencing heart failure as well as a pediatric program, Bite Sized Learning, which educates parents and children through activities, cooking demos and food tastings, and visits to local farms.

Her work has led Sproat to receive several awards from her employer, including UPMC Dietitian of the Year 2024. And she completed her master’s degree.

“The pandemic brought a lot of hardship, but if it wasn’t for the pandemic, I don’t know if I would’ve applied to a job in rural Maryland, which has brought many new friendships and led to so much adventure outside of work,” she said. “Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, but sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself.”

Call All Graduates of the Last Decade!

Know of a Seton Hill Graduate of the Last Decade who is making an impact? Are you a recent grad who has a great story to tell about their experiences since Seton Hill? We’d love to hear about what our graduates of the last decade are doing, especially as Seton Hill launches a new program, the Griffin GOLD Awards, in the fall of 2025. Submit information using this form about you or someone you know!