Alumni Profile: Rooted in Success

Tawny Sentz’ 08

By Stephanie R. Leader

Tawny Sentz ’08 has never turned down a challenge, and she seeks out new challenges almost every day. After graduation from Delone Catholic High School, Sentz went on to pursue cosmetology and then nursing school. Still, during both careers, she was called to follow a different passion, renovating and designing spaces. “I fell into interior design,” said Sentz. “There was a friend of a friend who needed help, and I jumped right on board.” Following Sentz’s career in nursing, she found a position in accounting and project management for a local heavy highway contractor, but always maintained her love of interior design.

Opportunity sparked for Sentz when she discovered that a barn on a property in Abbottstown, Pa., that she and her family used to visit was up for auction. Sentz fondly remembered the trips her family used to take when the property was a farmer’s market, bakery, and pick-your-own berries patch. The property then became a winery, but over time the owners could no longer maintain the upkeep, that is when the property was put up for sale.

Growing up on a farm herself, Sentz jumped at the idea of using her love of interior design and business to turn the property into something special. Her position in accounting and project management gave her experience in running a business, and she decided to take a leap of faith and put in a bid on the property. Her bid was accepted in December 2019, and that was the beginning of Red Brick & Roots, the Hanover and York area’s newest event venue. “I want to be able to offer the community an alternative space to create memories and celebrate their special events,” she said. Now, Sentz is busy working at her accounting and project management position during the weekdays, and as event venue owner and manager on the weekends and evenings.

Red Brick & Roots offers clients a unique venue for all special events inside the newly-renovated 4,500-square-foot red brick barn. “There’s still a lot of rehabbing that needs to take place, it’s kind of like my second full-time job. We’re slowly getting there. There’s still a lot of things that I want to do and things I want to update around the property itself,” said Sentz.

Another venture that Sentz is passionate about is inspiring other women to take control of their careers. “It’s crazy how much talent goes unnoticed because of a lack of support,” she said. “I feel like my story could potentially help someone else or inspire other women to live at the very edge of their capabilities.”

“I don’t think people fail, I think they quit. I had a great support system and foundation that weren’t willing to let me quit. I owe a lot of my success to that.”

Sentz thanks her family, her experience from her previous and current careers, and Delone Catholic High School for shaping her work ethic and drive for challenges. “I don’t think people fail, I think they quit. I had a great support system and foundation that weren’t willing to let me quit. I owe a lot of my success to that,” said Sentz. “I believe every one of my careers has given me something to put toward this endeavor and my parents have been my biggest supporters through all of it, they financed my having a quality education. They let me learn and let me get back up,” she said.

The future of Red Brick & Roots is still developing and Sentz has lots of goals for the direction she wants to take the space.

In terms of her education, Sentz credits Delone Catholic for forming her experiences through the faith foundation Delone Catholic provides as well as the variety of classes she was able to take.

“Delone really instills in students the importance of faith and family. All my experiences were the foundation of where I am now. Look at your speech class, your art class, your physics, and accounting class, at some point, you utilize all of that.”

To learn more about Red Brick & Roots, reach out to redbrickandroots@gmail.com.