Admissions welcomes Donray Bennett and Kayla Hudak to KU

Kutztown, PA (09/24/2019) — Kutztown University's Office of Admissions welcomes two new team members. Donray Bennett comes to KU as assistant director of Admissions and Kayla Hudak begins as an admissions recruiter.

Bennett has been involved in recruiting high school students to attend KU since joining the TRiO Upward Bound staff in 2001. He is bilingual, fluent in English and Spanish, having spent two years teaching science and math in Honduras. During his time as an elementary school principal, Bennett opened a new school in Columbus, Ohio, which went on to receive an A school rating in its inaugural year, the only community school in the county to receive an all-A rating. Coming from teaching and supervisory positions at Montgomery County Community College, Columbus Bilingual Academy and SMART Academies, Bennett has significant experience recruiting and serving students. He will be using his skills to recruit in southern New Jersey, Chester county, Delaware county and local Latinx populations.

Bennett received his Bachelor of Science in business management from KU in 2004. He intends to continue his education while working, planning to enroll in a graduate degree program beginning this January.

"I feel that my in-depth knowledge of the Kutztown University experience, my proficiency in Spanish and my familiarity with the students and families in the surrounding counties and states make me the ideal candidate to assist in the directing of campus admissions in a positive and empowering way," Bennett said. "The depth to which I love KU cannot be overstated."

Hudak graduated from Kutztown University with her Bachelor of Science in industrial/organizational psychology in 2018 and has plans to receive a Master of Education in higher education administration by December 2020.

Hudak has been a dedicated member of the Kutztown community since 2014. As an undergraduate student, Hudak served as secretary to the Student Government Board, a representative on the University Faculty Senate and co-founder of KU's first ever Love Your Melon Campus Crew. She is a former recipient of a Board of Governors scholarship. This past year, she worked closely with the KU Student Food Pantry and served as one of the graduate assistants in the Career Development Center. Hudak moves into her new position as an Admissions recruiter working with high school students from Maryland, New York and northern New Jersey areas; however, Hudak's first recruits were all close to home. Her three younger brothers are all currently enrolled in undergraduate programs at KU.

"Being able to share why it's so 'Good to be Golden' here at Kutztown University to prospective students is something that truly does come naturally to me. I feel extremely grateful to have the opportunity to do it in a professional role," Hudak said.

The Office of Admissions counselors are a diverse and encompassing group dedicated to bringing bright, ambitious, potential students into the Kutztown University community from all over and all walks of life. Krista D. Evans and Laura Fahy-Leo, director and associate directors of Admissions, lead the team of recruiters and directors. Evans boasts an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Lehigh University and B.A. from Penn State University. Fahy-Leo is a two-time KU alum with a B.A. in speech communication and M.Ed. in higher education student affairs.

Jory Wamsley, assistant director of Admissions, has two master's degrees and recruits from Carbon, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties. Assistant director of transfer admissions, James Garraway, helps transfer students with an M.Ed. in student affairs administration from Kutztown University. Joni Klopp, assistant director of Admissions, has her M.Ed. in higher education administration from Tiffin University, recruiting from Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Baron Vanderburg fills the dual role as assistant director of Admissions and multicultural recruiter while working on his M.Ed. in higher education student affairs at KU. He recruits from Allegheny and Philadelphia counties and Delaware.

Timothy W. Hahn is also working on his M.Ed. in higher education student affairs at KU while working as an admissions recruiter for the Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming counties in Pennsylvania, as well as Staten Island and Long Island. New York areas. Elyse Levandowski, assistant director of Admissions, holds her M.Ed. in higher education student affairs from Kutztown University recruiting from Bucks and Montgomery counties and all Pennsylvania counties and other states not represented.

Supporting outside the undergraduate office, Diane Biehl, in charge of international admissions and services, highlights her love of working with international students, learning about where they come from and what their cultures can bring to the KU community culture. Jamie Kardos, director of graduate admissions, adds to the family atmosphere of KU, welcoming a new addition to her own family.

Members of the Admissions team are also responsible for special events and positions such as open houses, bus trips and organization liaisons. With the two new additions to an already successful team, the future looks exciting for KU's student population.

View or get in touch with any of the admissions counselors here.