Student Advisory Board

Do you want to help make each Festival the best yet?

We are seeking student voices for our student advisory board. Board members will meet with regional leadership virtually throughout the fall and in person at our conference to ensure student concerns and ideas are being heard in our planning process. Board members will also host a students only discussion workshop at this year’s conference to bring forth new ideas and concerns to the Region II leadership team. This is a great way to make sure your voice is heard, serve as a leader for our region, and to build your resume. Board applications for Festival 58 are closed, but we will open applications for Festival 59 after this year’s conference. Contact our Region 2 chair, Cassie King, with any questions—chair@kcactf2.org.

- Qualifications: Students must be enrolled at least part time in an institution of higher learning during the festival year. They should be in good academic standing and be generally permitted by their institution to participate in extra-curricular activities. Only one student per institution will be asked to serve on this year’s advisory board.
  - We are seeking members that represent a diverse array of lived experiences, including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender identity, educational background and more.
- Term of Service: Student Advisory Board members generally serve for one Festival “year.” If they wish to continue for another Festival year, they may reapply to do so provided they regularly attend meetings and contribute to the advisory process.

AVE MARIA CONTRERAS

Ave Maria Contreras is a Senior Theatre Arts Major at McDaniel College. She is an interdisciplinary artist, focusing on acting, directing, and sound design. She most recently designed and gave musical direction for McDaniel College’s production of Stupid F*cking Bird, before designing and composing for The Madman and The Nun which runs until Saturday 22nd November 2025.

DESIRE CORREA

Desiré Correa is a 2025 graduate of Muskingum University, where she earned degrees in Theatre and Journalism. Throughout her time at Muskingum she was an active member of the campus community. She served as Sales Director and Promotions Director for Orbit Media, the university’s student-led media organization, and as President of the Alpha Psi Omega theatre honorary. Desiré was named a KCACTF Region 2 semi-finalist in the 2023 Irene Ryan Acting Competition and received Region 2 First Place for the Institute of Theatre Journalism and Advocacy in 2025. She has been recognized with Muskingum’s Outstanding Performance Award in both 2023 and 2025, as well as the Agnes Moorehead Scholarship in Theatre in 2024. Desiré has appeared in numerous stage productions and short films and currently works as a reporter and radio DJ for WHIZ-TV in Zanesville, Ohio. Desiré is a passionate, creative, and driven individual who is dedicated to producing meaningful work and contributing fully to every team she joins.

REIGAN COFFEE

Reigen Coffee is excited to bring a new energy to this years Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival! As a Performing Arts student at Montgomery County Community College, his MC theatre credits include Something Rotten (Snug), Cabaret (Bobby), and Grease (Ensemble). His recent professional credits include wardrobe supervisor for Fireworks at Theatre Alliance and Costume Designer for Are You There? at Prince George’s Community College. He was also involved as a director in the 2025 KCACTF 24 HR plays, so he looks forward to seeing this year’s directing talent! Since returning to the stage in 2023, Reigen has dedicated his time towards finding ways to improve the world of theatre for the next generation of performers and creatives. After graduating from MC, he will be continuing his theatrical endeavors at PACE University.

GIA DELUCA

Gia DeLuca is a junior Theatre major with an Integrated Concentration at CU Bloomsburg. “She loves all things theatre and most recently, she assistant stage managed the BU Players production of “Ride the Cyclone”!Along with that, most recently she has performed in the BU Player’s productions of “These Women of Troy” by Euripides, adapted by Joe Stollenwerk, “Anti-Hero: Revenge of the Swifties” by Derick Edgren Otero, and “The Astronots” by Mora V. Harris. She is super excited to be serving on this year’s KCACTF Festival 58 Student Advisory Board and can’t wait for January to come!

CHRISTIANNA HARCHUKA

Christianna Harchuka (she/her) is a junior Biochemistry major at Millersville University who proudly splits her time between being in the lab and being on stage. She’s taken on everything from performing to ASMing to directing. Most recently she was Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a Rocky Horror shadow cast and was Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Next, she’ll be trading fishnets for golden slippers as Cinderella in Into the Woods. This year will be her third year going to KCACTF. Last year, she had the honor of performing in the festival’s opening show, The Complete Works of William Shakespear (Abridged) [revised] [again]. She is looking forward to welcoming and meeting even more students who share her passion for theater, and support the community that has inspired her year after year.

JENNAYE POINTER

Jennaye Pointer (she/they) is a senior Theater and Film & Media Studies double major with a Classics & Mediterranean Studies minor at Bucknell University. She has mainly been involved in the technical side of theater and live events by stage managing a show every semester, being a board operator, assisting in building sets, doing publicity, and working as a backstage technical assistant at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts. Jennaye is excited to meet and work with new people at the festival and hold the experience close to her heart as a first and final time on the board before graduating in the spring.

JAELA RIVERA

Jaela Rivera: Hello! I’m Jaela and I am a junior Management & Organizations/Theater double major from Bucknell University. At Bucknell, I have been involved in shows like the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Men on Boats, and the Sweet Science of Bruising, but also student shows, like Sanctuary and Life of the Party. I also run social media for a theater club on campus, Cap and Dagger. This is my third year at the festival, having volunteered as a BOLD intern just last year. Now I am super excited to continue my work as part of the Student Advisory Board!

JULIE RIVERA

Julie Rivera is a Junior studying Theatre and Media & Culture at West Chester University. An active leader in the campus arts community, she serves as Historian for the University Theatre Council, Assistant Producer for WCU’s 26th Annual AIDS Benefit Concert, and is a proud member of Under A Rest A Cappella. This year marks her second time attending KCACTF, and she is thrilled to be returning this time as a part of the Student Advisory Board! Passionate about performance, storytelling, and community driven arts, Julie brings enthusiasm and dedication to every project she takes on. She is beyond excited to be working with this amazing group of people and looking forward to how great Festival 58 is going to be!

AUGUST NINER

Festival Intern

August Niner (they/them) is a third year Theatre and English undergrad student at Muskingum Univertisy. They are passionate about fostering inclusive and collaborative spaces where everyone can thrice in the arts. August is dedicated to using their work in theatre to uplift others and build community. Their future goals include persuing careers in Arts Administration and Lighting Design, where they hope to combine their creativity, organization, and advocacy to help make theatre accessible and empowering for all.

MJ MUSIC

Social Media Intern

MJ Music is a senior at Millersville University, majoring in Entertainment Technology with a concentration in sound design and social media management. She has been running the program’s social media for the past two years, and her most recent credits include The Laramie Project, assistant sound designer/dramaturg, Vanya, Sonia, Masha, and Spike, Sonia/Scenic Painter, Charlie Brown, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Sound Engineer/Scenic Painter.

LAUREL BENDETTI

Social Media Intern

Laurel Therese Bendetti is a senior Theatre Arts major at West Chester University, where she is an avid member of the Theatre and Dance Department. She is currently performing in Little Women and serves as Director of the 26th Annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Benefit Concert, as well as Social Media Manager for the a cappella group High Street Harmonix. Beyond campus, Laurel performs as a singer-songwriter throughout the Lehigh Valley and West Chester areas, blending folk and R&B influences in her live shows. This is her second year interning with KCACTF Region 2, and she is thrilled to be part of the festival once again. With a strong passion for visual aesthetics, Laurel integrates design and storytelling into every aspect of her marketing process, creating meaningful connections between artists and audiences.