Introducing our Newest Members of the Bright Horizons College Coach Admissions Team!

We’re excited to introduce students and families to the newest members of the College Coach admissions team. Think of this as a sneak preview; as you work with us to find a college admissions consultant who best fits your needs or the needs of your child, we’ll help you consider more deeply the personality and working styles that will bring out the best in you or your student.

Stacey Badger’s journey in college admissions began with her role as a college advisor at Garden Grove High School in southern California, where she guided students and their families through the complexities of admissions and financial aid. She went on to work at the University of Southern California in the admissions offices of the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. In those offices, she recruited applicants, reviewed and evaluated first-year and transfer applications for admissions and scholarship consideration, and conducted scholarship interviews. Stacey has two degrees from USC: a BA in psychology and an MA in communication management.

Shayla Bezjak-Martinez's admissions career started at Harvey Mudd, a STEM-focused liberal arts college in Claremont, CA. There, she was responsible for the recruitment, applications, and enrollment of students from southern California and the Southwest. She also coordinated the social media accounts for the office of admissions as well as outreach programs for local first-generation and low-income students. Additional experiences include evaluating applications for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the Summer Science Program (SSP), and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. While her professional experiences have focused on STEM, she earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology and Education from Smith College.

Kristy Blue began her career in college admissions at her alma mater, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she reviewed college and honors applications and made admissions and scholarship decisions. She later moved to California to launch the university’s first regional admissions position, supporting West Coast families considering UMN, then went on to establish Augustana College’s first regional admissions presence on the West Coast. Kristy most recently worked at the University of San Diego, where she helped students find international study opportunities that aligned with their academic goals and personal identities.

Cesar Contreras started his admissions career at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he evaluated applications, worked with first-year, transfer, and international students, and executed technologies and strategies to improve advising practices and communication. He later worked as an admissions operations and process specialist, supporting new technology integrations. Most recently, Cesar was at the Summer Science Program (SSP), where he worked to recruit, evaluate, and yield applicants from all over the world. Cesar is a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, with a BS in Business Administration.

Caroline Damon has spent two decades working in education. She began her career as a high school teacher and ski coach in Colorado before moving to Vermont, where she organized and led college and high school summer language programs. She later transitioned to admissions at Middlebury College. In that role, she recruited students from the Midwest, Mountain West, Northern California, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. She also managed admissions communications and oversaw the development of a new website. Caroline holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bates College and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Vermont.

Jenni Gargano comes to Bright Horizons College Coach from the Dartmouth College admissions office, where she worked both on campus and later as a regional admissions officer in Los Angeles. She reviewed applications and contributed to admissions decisions from applicants in territories including California, the East Coast, Mexico, and Central America. Additionally, she led Dartmouth’s national partnerships with college access organizations and oversaw the QuestBridge process. Earlier in her career, she supported students through AmeriCorps with a college access program and taught English in the Peace Corps. Jenni earned her BA in history and government from Dartmouth and her MA in law and diplomacy from Tufts University.

Maya Gee is a proud public high school graduate originally from Hawaii who began her admissions career as a student tour guide at Middlebury College. Before graduating with a joint major in Anthropology and Sociology, she held several roles in Middlebury’s admission office, including Access and Inclusion Intern and Senior Admission Fellow.  Maya went on to join the admissions team at Brown University, where she read applications from the West Coast, New Jersey, Long Island, and Western Canada. She has extensive experience with QuestBridge applications, college fly-in program applications, United World Colleges admission materials, and rural admission initiatives. In addition, Maya led essay and application workshops for prospective students.

Robin Khadduri spent a decade working in admissions at three independent schools in the Boston area. Later, while earning her master’s degree in education at Harvard University, she worked part-time in MIT’s undergraduate admissions office, then went on to serve as an outside reader for the University of Virginia. Most recently, she worked at Brandeis University, where she managed the first-year and transfer selection processes, athletic recruitment, and the awarding of fellowships and merit aid. She has also regularly volunteered with Scholar Match, guiding high school students through the college application process. Robin earned her BA from Bowdoin College in government and legal studies and her MA from University of Chicago in public policy.

Katie Phung developed her passion for working with students and families during her undergraduate years at Bryant University. At Bryant, she held a variety of roles in the admissions office, where she continued to work after graduation. She later took on an admissions role at Worcester Polytechnic Institute before going on to serve on the admissions access and outreach team at Boston College. Katie has evaluated applications from students across the United States and around the world, and the core of her work focused on the recruitment and enrollment of historically underrepresented students. Katie has a BS in Business Admission from Bryant and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Dylan Sanchez began his admissions career at the University of Northern Colorado. As an admission officer there, he worked with a large population of first-generation students and managed territories in Texas, Colorado, and Illinois. More recently, he served as the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions for Transfer and Athletics at Colorado College, a highly selective liberal arts college. Dylan’s range of admissions experiences includes leading committees for transfer populations, first-generation college-goers, NCAA DI and DII athletes, and scholarship selection. He has two degrees from the University of Northern Colorado: a BA in multimedia communication and an MS in sport administration.