Alumni Stories
Brynn Gerstle, ’04
Brynn’s Story:
As a young student, Brynn Gerstle realized she learned differently when she struggled to keep up with her classmates—most memorably the day she turned in a math test completely blank and hid in the bushes on her walk home, afraid to face her mom. Though she loved school, her struggles with reading and remembering sight words left her frustrated and sad. Her mother, a former teacher, recognized that something wasn’t right and had her tested for learning differences, leading to a dyslexia diagnosis. Soon after, Brynn enrolled at The de Paul School, where smaller classes, hands-on learning, and compassionate teachers transformed her experience. For the first time, she felt understood, supported, and capable.
de Paul not only gave her the tools to learn—it gave her the confidence to believe she could succeed. Brynn entered Assumption High School fully prepared and later attended the University of Notre Dame, where she played Division I sports, won a national championship, and made the Big East All-Academic Team three times. She went on to earn a master’s degree from George Washington University and now works as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati on the Cardiothoracic & Cardiac Surgery ICU. She credits her success to the love, patience, and study skills she learned at de Paul, saying it taught her that her dyslexia isn’t a disability but a “superpower.” Now a proud mother of two, she carries those lessons forward—ready to advocate for her own son, should he need the same kind of support. To her, The de Paul School didn’t just change her education—it changed her life.
