Pruitt to deliver address at Spring 2023 Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education Commencement Ceremony

The speaker for the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education Ceremony is Breasha Pruitt, 2008 Bachelor of Science in Physical Education graduate. She also earned a master’s degree in human development from Murray State University in 2013. 

Pruitt is the founder, owner and Head Coach of Breasha Pruitt Elite Gymnastics in Evansville. The facility, founded in 2018, offers a range of class options, including pre-school, recreational, team, special needs, homeschool and adult.  

Prior to founding Breasha Pruitt Elite Gymnastics, she worked as Director of the Kentucky grant-funded 21st Century Community Learning Center from 2008 to 2013. In this role, Pruitt implemented programs and policies to help increase the achievement rate in student academics, behavior and social skills. From 2015 to 2016, she worked for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development as a Performance Monitoring Specialist, monitoring staff in nine Indiana counties of Region 11 to ensure policies and procedures were implemented and followed. For 15 years, Pruitt has coached gymnastics in her spare time. 

Born and raised in Henderson, Kentucky, she always had a deep-rooted passion for gymnastics, which began at the age of 6. Pruitt’s parents recognized her talent and enrolled her in gymnastics classes.  

By age 10, Pruitt reached the highest level of gymnastics as an elite gymnast. She was a two-time elite national team member in 1997 and 1998 and placed in the top five nationally. As both a level eight and 10 gymnast, she was the Indiana all events and All-Around State Champion, as well as the Region Five all events and All-Around Champion. She was also the Junior Olympic first-place National All-Around Bar Champion and a member of the first-place level 10 Junior Olympic team. 

Pruitt was offered full ride gymnastics scholarships to Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama, the University of Kentucky, the University of Georgia and others, and ultimately, chose to attend the University of Georgia. In 2003, its gymnastics team was the first-place NCAA Regional Champion, the second-place SEC Team and the third place NCAA Team Champion. After an injury in 2003, Pruitt transferred to USI to complete her studies where she continued to excel academically and remained active in local gymnastics. 

Pruitt has received three mayoral proclamations—two from Henderson, Kentucky, and one from Evansville. She received the Kentucky Colonel award, the highest honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky, recognizing an individual’s noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to our community, state and nation, in 2022 from Governor Andy Beshear. Also in 2022, she was named Double Goal Coach of the Year by the Positive Coaching Alliance. Pruitt is a member of the Henderson County Sports Hall of Fame, the Evansville Sports Hall of Fame and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 

For more information on Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremonies, visit the Commencement webpage.