Hanna Gibson

I knew construction was for me at a young age. My dad and all of my uncles on both sides of the family are in construction so it was something I was constantly exposed to and something I loved being around.

I picked Penn College for the classwork and also the ability to learn the hands-on aspect of my trade. I also like how the class sizes were small and that the teachers know you on a first-name basis and were willing to help when you needed it.

I have learned many cool and interesting things. Some of my favorites were my masonry class and my trim and mill working class. They were areas that I didn't have a lot of practice in and it was great to be able to have skills that a lot of other schools don't bother to teach anymore, like stonework and how to make your own trim.

My favorite learning aspect of Penn College is how the teachers make it personal for you and share their experiences. If we are learning something, they welcome questions and are happy to explain anything further or tell a story of their time working in the field so that we as students can better understand how our education will help us later on.

I would tell them it is a great place for anyone who wants to go to college, but might not fit the mold of a traditional college student. The campus is full of people who are all different in their own ways and that is what I think makes it such a great place to learn.

I benefit from the combination of learning because I enjoy learning about something in a book and then reinforcing it with my labs. It helps me to better understand my field and to help me memorize what we are doing.