NKU coordinator to receive excellence award

A Northern Kentucky University admissions coordinator received an award for her work with Latino and other underrepresented students.

Leyla Peña, who works at NKU as a coordinator of multicultural recruitment, was selected by the League of United Latin American Citizens Cincinnati Council to receive the Professional Excellence Award at the LULAC Awards Gala.

The gala is scheduled for 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

LULAC is the oldest civil rights Hispanic organization in the U.S., according to a press release.

The theme of this year’s event is Education: The Gateway to Success. The LULAC Cincinnati Awards Gala celebrates the positive impact of those who shape the diversity and race relations in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky community, according to the press release.

Peña, a native of the Dominican Republic, has worked at NKU since 2011. She previously worked for The Spanish Journal, a Spanish language newspaper based in Cincinnati. She specializes in recruitment at NKU and serves as an admissions counselor and coordinator for multicultural programs. She also helps organize Spanish Norse Days and an annual Latino College Fair, which introduces potential students to NKU.