Penn State DuBois animal science student appears as model at Fashion Week in NYC

DUBOIS, Pa. - Local resident and Penn State DuBois student Isabelle Bartruff recently had the opportunity to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week.

A recent feature in the Courier Express spotlighted how a passion for performing arts and a willingness to seize opportunities brought Bartruff from a modeling and acting conference in Florida when she was in eighth grade, to one of the major fashion stages.

At Penn State DuBois, Bartruff is majoring in animal science and aspires to work as a large-mammal veterinarian in a zoo setting. Her modeling pursuit, the article reported, complements her academic goal by fostering confidence, adaptability and a public-facing presence - qualities valuable in any field. The local paper captured her reflection that both modeling and animal-care work demand patience, resilience and a readiness to learn.

A 2025 graduate of DuBois Area High School, Bartruff walked in a show at Sony Hall for designer Annie Pacious during the Runway 7 presentation in New York City. The article detailed her earlier modeling appearances at Pittsburgh Fashion Week and West Virginia Fashion Week, a subway adventure she and her boyfriend and Penn State Blue Band member Jeremiah Mondi undertook, and the balancing act she maintains between her animal science degree and modeling ambitions.

At Penn State DuBois, Bartruff's story is a reminder of the wide range of student ambitions and the ways that the campus supports both professional aspirations and personal passions. The full newspaper article can be found at this link.