Bella Buettner ’25
Senior psychology major
Cranberry Township, PA

Bella Buettner ’25 always dreamed of seeing the world, and when the opportunity arose to travel to Greece with the All-College Honors Program at the end of her first year, she jumped at it.

The short-term study abroad experience, designed to complement first-year honors coursework, took Buettner and her fellow students to several cultural and historical sites they learned about in the classroom.

“I have always wanted to travel the world and experience everything,” said Buettner, a senior psychology major from Cranberry Township, Pa. “Having the opportunity to take what we learned in the classroom and apply it was a completely elevated experience I would have never imagined.”

The trip to Greece was just one of the many opportunities Buettner has embraced at Westminster. In addition to the honors program, she is a senator with the Student Government Association, a TRIO scholar, a member of the psychology international honors society Psi Chi and the Pi Sigma Pi Honors Society. She also writes for The Holcad student newspaper, serving as lead campus life correspondent. She also was a member of the cheerleading squad.

Buettner was able to build her professional portfolio and gain valuable hands-on experience with an internship opportunity with Mars Home for Youth and Family Services. There she shadowed and assisted crisis case workers during in-home multisystemic therapy psychiatric sessions for at risk youth. She was responsible for capacity building projects, creating coping skills toolboxes, assisting with staff retreats and training, and learned about state audit preparation and interpreting clinical documentation.

he opportunities Buettner has seized during her four years at Westminster have definitely enriched her college experience, but she said she owes much to the support and guidance she received from her professors, particularly Dr. Kristianne Kalata, Dr. Jamie Chapman, Dr. Loreen Huffman and Dan Urban.

“Being involved not only contributed to growing my confidence and sense of self, but it made me realize I am capable of so much more than I could ever have realized on my own. I am very grateful for those who saw strengths, even when I could not see them myself and the opportunities they have opened,” she said.

Following graduation, Buettner plans to seek out more opportunities. She intends to pursue her master’s degree and become a licensed professional counselor.

~ Gia Francisco ’25, student writer

More Stories