I’m Gretchen, I grew up in Newport, NH and attended Providence College in Rhode Island. Graduated with a bachelors in Global Studies in 2017. I moved to Portland, Oregon to participate in the Jesuit Volunteers Corp where I ended up sticking around for a few years to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I moved back to the east coast in 2020 and recently relocated to Burlington with my partner. We love the access to big mountains up here for skiing in the winter and biking in the summer. I’m taking the step to pursue my MPA because I am very passionate about community development and policy. I worked with unhoused populations during my volunteer year and intend to further my work on housing advocacy with this degree.