Meet the Team!

Hello Everyone!
Now that we are back in Erie, I think it's be great for everyone to know a little more about the team! We want to thank everyone who supported our group and walked with us on this amazing and transformational journey!
Until next time!

Hi everybody! My name is Grace Rihs. I am a sophomore Biology/Pre-Veterinary Medicine Major. Aftre attending my ABST to the Navajo Nation territory last year, I was super excited to jump into this trip! I'm so excited I got to meet so many inspirational women and cannot wait to bring it home to keep change going!

Hello! My name is Sydni McConnell and I am a freshman PA student from Pittsburgh. I’m so excited to be going on my first ABST and I can’t wait for all the experiences and opportunities to help the Ruskin community. I love Gannon, so it is so exciting to be able to see the campus in Ruskin as well. 

Name: Olivia Kelly
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Erie, PA
Major: Psychology / Biology
Why I chose Ruskin: I want to make a difference by doing real service for women and children impacted by human trafficking and domestic violence in order to take the information back to Erie.
Name: Abby Palotas
Year: Freshman
Major: Pre-Pharmacy
Hometown: Meadville, PA
I came on the Ruskin ABST to learn more about how to support women who have experienced domestic violence and human trafficking as well as grow closer with my classmates and expand my experience at Gannon.

Name: Abby Palotas

Year: Freshman

Major: Pre-Pharmacy

Hometown: Meadville, PA

I came on the Ruskin ABST to learn more about how to support women who have experienced domestic violence and human trafficking as well as grow closer with my classmates and expand my experience at Gannon.

Hello, my name is Jessica Bernat. I am a freshman at Gannon studying biomedical engineering and pre-med. The Ruskin trip was my first ABST experience. I chose this trip because up until, I had no exposure/experience with victims of human trafficking, sexual assault, or domestic violence. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to grow and become educated on the prevalent topics, and it was very much so.

Hi! My name is Jordan Saeli, and I am the Annual Fund Coordinator at Gannon. I am also studying Strategic Communication. The Ruskin trip I was drawn to because I wanted to learn more about domestic abuse and human trafficking to be more aware. I wanted to learn from this experience and be able to come back and raise awareness and truly help others. 

Hi! I’m Liv and I am one of the student leaders for the Ruskin ABST this year! I’m a sophomore from Erie, PA studying nursing. My end goal is to become a forensic nurse, which is why I’m so passionate about the issues tackled with the Ruskin trip!

Olympia "Ollie" Otulakowski is a freshman Biochemistry major that loves to help others. She is on this trip to learn more about the topics and use the information to help those she loves.

Hi! My name is Sydney Smith. As a sophomore physician assistant major, I know in the future my patients will come from all walks of life and all different types of experience. This trip is such an amazing way for me to begin understanding how I can best take care of my patients who have had such experiences. I also saw such empowerment in this trip through the education of those who go on it to the organizations themselves and the people they help. 

My name is Cassie McKernan and I am a junior PA major from Pittsburgh, PA. I was drawn to this trip because the heavy topics of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault are important to fully understand. Any individual can be a victim, therefore as a future healthcare provider I felt it was vital to educate myself in order to best serve my future patients. It was truly an eye-opening experience. 

Hello! I'm Heidi Brieger Noyes and I am the director of Commuter Life at Gannon. Having been in this role for almost 14 years, I have met so many amazing students and have had the privilege to watch them grow. I have been married to my husband, Craig, and have two wonderful boys, Joel & Luke. This is my first ABST but will not be my last!