Page 13 - BUZZ Magazine - Issue #5 Summer 2023 | University of Rochester

RE AR ADMIR AL

Gretchen

Herbert ’84

Sports, the military, and a career full of
milestones have marked this alumna’s life

by KRISTINE KAPPEL THOMPSON

When Gretchen Herbert was a teenager, her parents were very realistic with her about
the cost of college: They could afford to support four years at a state school or two at
a private one. That’s when Herbert’s father started handing her Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps (NROTC) brochures—a timely move because he knew how much his
daughter wanted to go to the University of Rochester, her dream school.

“As a high school student, I wasn’t too enthusiastic about NROTC at first, but I knew
a scholarship would make it possible for me to go to Rochester,” says Herbert. “So, I
filled out the paperwork, was accepted into the program and the University, and looked
forward to all the opportunities ahead of me—academically, athletically, and in the Navy.”

Herbert’s experience at the University turned out to be everything she hoped it would
be. She loved science and majored in geology. She played soccer as a defender for
three years and basketball as a power forward for all four years. NROTC filled her days,
too, as she woke up early for training, participated in drills, and completed other Navy
coursework throughout the week. She thrived amidst all the hard work.

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