College Bound Athlete: Isabella Bruno

Isabella Bruno with parents Mario Bruno and Greta Boynton

2021-GHS graduate Isabella Bruno will soon be heading to Buffalo, New York for the next phase of her life.

“I’m excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Canisius College for women’s rowing,” Bruno stated after committing to the Buffalo-based school, “Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way and I can’t wait to be part of this new family.”

Bruno was exceptional on the waters in Connecticut and equally impressive outside of it. She was the secretary of the Interact Club and was part of National Honor Society.  

Crew was her main focus in high school and where she created the most memories, saying, “What I will miss most about GHS is all the friends I have made and also my old rowing team. They were all there with me through ups and downs and I’m forever grateful.”

Bruno was a captain on an accomplished rowing team at GHS, led by head coach Eleanor Dowd.

“Bella is a great rower. She is consistent on and off the water and she is always able to dig deeper and find an extra push which is part of why she’s a great stroke seat. This past spring Bella was in a tough position being out for most of the season, but she still came to practice every day to support her teammates,” stated Dowd, “Bella leads by example and no matter how intimidating the workout she goes into it with confidence and enthusiasm. She’s coachable, she’s relentless, and we’re so excited for her to continue her rowing career at Canisius.”

At Canisius, she will join a Golden Griffins rowing team that competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Bruno became the first commitment of the team’s class of 2025. 

Bruno will be a Bio and Pre-Med major, saying, “I chose Canisius because when they first reached out to me I did a bunch of research into the school and found it had the right vibe for me. Not only did the school fit what I was looking for academically, but it also had a good rowing program with other rowers around my same level that were driven and I knew I was going to have a great experience.” 

​“What excites me most about going off to college and being a part of this new team is having more independence and finding myself as an athlete and a student. I can wait to keep improving my skills and achieving new limits.”