Latest news with #KutztownUniversity
New York Post
28-05-2025
- New York Post
Girls groomed online as teens reveal shocking tactics used
It couldn't have been more obvious that Jessica Walker was a vulnerable 13-year-old. The anorexic teen was a religious follower of the unfathomably thin YouTuber Eugenia Cooney and regularly posted on Discord servers dedicated to her fandom. That's where the Strasburg, Virginia, teen was contacted by a 29-year-old man, who she now realizes worked out her vulnerabilities and set out to sexually groom her. Advertisement 'When we first started talking, he was totally normal, and we were just friends. I would tell him about my life and some secrets,' Walker, now a 21-year-old senior at Kutztown University, told The Post. 10 Jessica Walker, pictured at 14, was the target of internet groomers. Courtesy of Jessica Walker 10 Walker was contacted on forums dedicated to Eugenia Cooney's fandom. Tiktok / eugeniaxxcooney Advertisement But gradually, things took a dark turn: 'He would just slowly switch topics to talk about sex, and at first what I thought were innocent jokes.' When she was fourteen, they started sharing explicit photos and messages. 'By that time I felt trapped … By the time you feel endangered by a groomer, you feel like they already have too much on you,' Walker said. The predator threatened to show up at her home if she ever went to the police so, out of fear, she kept her mouth shut and was kept up at night, terrorized by a stranger her parents had no idea even existed. 'I was too ashamed to tell my parents about it,' Walker said. 'Groomers just prey on that shame and lack of knowledge, and they make the children feel like it's their fault that adults are attracted to them.' Advertisement 10 Now 21, Jessica Walker realizes she was groomed when she was a young teen. Courtesy of Jessica Walker After a year of torment, she finally built up the courage to block her abuser, but the memory of the manipulation still haunts her. 'They're nicer than people in school or your parental figures, but then they end up taking a position of power … and then they start very slowly making it all sexual.' Grooming — the process by which a predator gradually builds a relationship with a minor in order to sexually manipulate them — is becoming ever more common as people use the internet from an ever younger age. Advertisement The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline experienced a 300% increase in tips about online enticement from 44,155 to 186,819 between 2021 and 2023. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom recorded 6,350 Sexual Communication with a Child offences in 2023, a number which has increased 82% from five years ago. 10 Predators began contacting Kayla Bryant when she started her YouTube channel in 8th grade. Courtesy of Kayla Walker Michael Aterburn worked as a detective investigating internet crimes against children in Jefferson County, Kentucky, from 2008 to 2014. He encountered a new case of internet grooming at least once a week. The perpetrators were always men, ranging from teenagers to senior citizens, but typically between twenty and forty years of age. 'Most of the time the child is at risk to begin with, and they have some kind of need to be filled, and now somebody is telling them all the things that they want to hear: 'You're smart, you're pretty,'' Aterburn told The Post. 10 Kayla Bryant said her groomers normalized sexual abuse for her. Most often, he says teens will be contacted on social media or through video games like Roblox, then the predator will move the child over to a private messaging app, like Kik, WhatsApp, or Signal. Advertisement Kayla Bryant was lured into sexual relationships with men in their 20s after they found her on YouTube, also when she was 13. Bryant started making videos in 8th grade and sometimes talked about struggling with her home life in them. 'Older people would [reach out online and] say that they wanted to provide that security for me, and so I would pursue it,' Bryant, now a 22-year-old college senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, told The Post. '[That led to] extreme codependency issues.' By age 14, she started to meet up with men a decade older than her, who claimed to offer shelter from her turbulent home situation. 'It would be real adult men … I would stay at their houses, be treated with gifts, but then the sexual abuse became regular to where it no longer [seemed like] abuse but something that I was used to.' Advertisement Often, Aterburn would be deployed on the internet to pose as a 13-year-old girl to entrap pedophiles and get them off the streets. 10 Michael Arterburn was a detective investigating internet crimes against children for eight years. Courtesy of Michael Arterburn 'The prosecutors wanted me to get the guys to physically meet so they can rule out whether this was an online fantasy, but I've only had a handful that didn't want to meet,' he recalled. 'I've had the perpetrators show up with handcuffs and rope and tape and Valium and sex toys.' Aterburn says grooming red flags parents should look out for include gifts in the mail or a child who is hesitant to hand over their phone: 'If they turn off their game or they minimize their window on the computer when you walk in the room, that's a huge red flag.' Advertisement He also recommends parents use the parental control platform Bark to monitor cell phone activity and ban electronics behind closed doors. 'Never punish your child if they come forward and tell you about something, because if you take that electronic [device] away, which is almost every parent's knee jerk reaction, all you've taught them is not to come to you,' Aterburn advised. Alicia Kozak, another grooming victim and anti-exploitation advocate agrees: 'What is probably most important is that your child knows they can come to you with absolutely anything at all, and that you'll remain calm and you'll solve the problem together.' 10 Alicia Kozak was the first known abductee from online grooming back in 2002. Courtesy of Alicia Kozak Advertisement Kozak was thirteen when she became the first known victim of internet child abduction in 2002, when a 38-year-old man coaxed her from a Yahoo chat room into his car and ultimately held her captive and sexually abused her on livestream for four days before being busted by authorities. Kozak, now 37 and author of 'The Internet Safety Guidebook: Protecting Kids in the Digital Age,' often speaks about her experience, and says without fail she has young women approach her after every talk to say they've been groomed online. 'People say, 'Well, my kid's a good kid. My kid doesn't do those things. My kid isn't curious.' But anybody can be a victim, including the kid that you think is the most well behaved and trustworthy,' she said. Naomi, a now 22-year-old nurse from Wales, UK, was contacted by a 26-year-old predator on Snapchat when she was 15. 10 Alicia Kozak was just 13 when a predator contacted her on a Yahoo chat room. Courtesy of Alicia Kozak 10 Kozak was missing and sexually abused for days before being rescued by police. Courtesy Alicia Kozak 'It seemed quite normal at that age for someone to just add you, and you'd add them back,' she said. Naomi, who asked to withhold her last name out of fear of retribution, says her predator keyed in on her turbulent relationship with her parents, who alienated her after she rejected their Jehovah's Witness faith. 'I was just searching anywhere else I could find a close adult connection, and when he came along, it was like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together,' she recalled. Several months into talking, he proposed she run away with him — and booked a hotel and a train. However, after a week, money ran out and her predator, who claimed to be a lawyer, took Naomi to live on the streets with him. 10 Incidents of grooming have shot up thanks to the internet and the pandemic. Ellionn – 'It turned violent quite quickly, but at that point I was so engrossed, and I just thought that was my only opportunity to have a different life than what I had before,' Naomi, who recalled having a knife held to her neck during sex, said. Three weeks in, the cops discovered them on the street and threw the man in jail for child abduction. Though she says her decision to run away was 'extreme,' she warns grooming is not and she knows many people who were groomed to some extent online. 'There were a lot of other girls at school who were groomed at some point, whether it was being talked into sending nude pictures or having flirty conversations online with people they don't know. It was so normalized,' Naomi recalled.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kutztown University gets state grant to support program that addresses teacher shortage
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Kutztown University has been awarded a state grant to support a program that is helping to combat the ongoing teacher shortage in Pennsylvania. The state Department of Education will provide $946,951 to KU through the department's dual credit innovation program. The money will support scholarships and programming for the school's Early College Academy for Education. Through the academy, high school students with a general interest in working with children and education studies can attend classes on KU's campus, where they will take two courses in the fall semester and two in the spring. The four courses count toward majors in education. The program is being piloted at KU, with 39 students taking part. The grant will allow the academy to expand to 60 students next school year. The following year, the academy will serve an additional 30 in an off-site, rural school district cluster. Classes are scheduled for half a day, two to three days a week. By the end of the academic year students will have earned 12 credits, which equals one semester. The academy aims to boost the ranks of teachers, which have been dwindling for several years and took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report by Penn State University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis, 38% of school districts across the state reported at least one teacher vacancy this school year. 'The support of the Pennsylvania Dual Credit Innovation Grant will allow us to address the financial and transportation barriers to recruiting teachers,' Dr. Rebecca West Burns, dean of KU's college of education, said in a statement announcing the grant. 'Solving the teacher shortage in Pennsylvania requires a movement away from quick fix, Band-Aid approaches that fast-track preparation or ease the path to certification. Kutztown University is proud and incredibly appreciative of our strong partnerships with our local schools. 'Together, we aim to build a systemic pipeline that recruits high school students, prepares them through partnership in Kutztown's college of education's excellent programs and returns them to their school districts to teach.' Anyone interest in the academy can contact Burns at burns@ or 610-683-4300. For more information about the academy, visit
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Campus notes: May 4, 2025
John Zappacosta, Exeter Township, earned the Kutztown University Undergraduate Research Series microcredentialing badge this spring. It is awarded to students who dedicate their time to learning about the transformational impact of undergraduate research to academic success and career readiness. Award winner Zayon Cordova Febres, Reading, received the Student Activities Award at Muhlenberg College, Allentown. It recognizes leadership in student activities programming. Scholarship Favian J. Frutos-Corona, Reading, received an award from the Allan Myers Corporate Scholars program at Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport. He is a construction management major.. Honor society • Sophia Horowitz, Cumru Township, was inducted into the Gold Key Honor Society at Emerson College, Boston. • Ashley McVeigh, Gilbertsville, was inducted into Psi Chi psychology honor society at the University of Scranton. • Samantha Goffice, Gilbertsville was inducted into Phi Epsilon Kappa kinesiology honor society at the University of Scranton. • Rylee Mann, a graduate of Schuylkill Valley High School, was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Delta sociology honor society at Lebanon Valley College. Research The following area Lebanon Valley College students displayed their academic and creative work to an audience of faculty, peers, trustees, and administrators during the annual Inquiry Symposium. Jacob Houp, Blandon; Victoria Manmiller, Fleetwood; Jamie Sweigart, Adamstown; Alyssa Wernerl, Robesonia; Ashley Hart, Morgantown; Haley Thunberg, Myerstown; Marina Biltcliff, Lower Heidelberg Township; Ayden Kunkel, Oley; Kathryn Shanaman, Denver; Samantha Miller, Richmond Township. Items are submitted by the colleges involved.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kutztown University has a new president
The new leader of Kutztown University has been selected. The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on Wednesday announced that Dr. Philip Cavalier has been chosen as the school's new president. The appointment is effective July 6. Dr. Philip Cavalier Cavalier will succeed Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson who announced last year that he would retire this summer. Hawkinson has served as Kutztown's president since 2015. Cavalier currently serves as provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin, a regional public university with more than 7,000 students in northwest Tennessee. He also served as interim chancellor there for five months in 2023. 'Dr. Cavalier brings an exceptional breadth of experience as both an educator and a university leader,' Dr. Cynthia Shapira, PASSHE board chair, said in a statement announcing the appointment. 'Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to collaboration with students, faculty and staff, and he brings a strong background in strategic planning. Dr. Cavalier is passionate about fostering campus communities where all students, especially first-generation students, can thrive both in and out of the classroom. 'He will be an outstanding president for Kutztown University, and we are proud to welcome him to the state system.' Cavalier said he is thrilled to take the reins at Kuztown. 'I am thrilled to be selected to serve as the next president of Kutztown University and join a remarkable community of engaged scholars and professionals committed to transforming students' lives,' he said. 'During his 10 years of exemplary leadership, President Hawkinson has built a strong foundation for Kutztown. I look forward to collaborating with all the campus and external stakeholders to enhance Kutztown's reputation as a premier regional university in the northeast.' During his time at UTM, Cavalier led the creation of the school's 2025-30 strategic plan, two strategic enrollment plans and developed or enhanced eight academic programs aligned with student interests and local workforce needs. He also played a key role in boosting student retention and graduation rates, managed the university's largest budget and forged new partnerships with community colleges and regional employers, including a major collaboration with Ford Motor Co., officials said. Prior to his time at UTM, Cavalier held several faculty and senior leadership roles in higher education, including provost at Lyon College, provost and dean of the college at Eureka College and dean of general education at Catawba College. He as a Fulbright Scholar at Kyiv International University and Kyiv Slavonic University in Ukraine and a tenured faculty member in English at Catawba College. Cavalier holds a doctorate in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master's degree in English from Northeastern University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Swarthmore College. Dr. Christopher Fiorentino, PASSHE chancellor, said Cavalier's vision for higher education is a perfect fit for the state system. 'Dr. Cavalier believes a quality higher education can change lives and should be affordable to every student who wants it, which aligns with PASSHE's mission,' he said. 'Kutztown is a dynamic institution, and he is the perfect person to lead the university. We are proud to welcome him to Kutztown and the state system.' Dennis Giorno, chair of KU's board of trustees, likewise said Cavalier is a great selection to lead the university. 'On behalf of the Kutztown University Council of Trustees, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Philip Cavalier as the 13th president of this great institution,' he said. 'Dr. Cavalier was selected after a six-month comprehensive nationwide search. He brings a wealth of experience to our campus, including 27 years in higher education as a professor, dean and provost. This most recently includes seven years at UT Martin, where he served as provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and managed the institution as interim chancellor. 'We are confident he will further Kutztown University's mission and 159-year tradition of providing affordable high-quality undergraduate, graduate and lifelong learning opportunities to the students of our region and beyond.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kutztown University offering scholarships for displaced federal workers
Kutztown University is offering new scholarships for displaced federal employees and those unemployed due to federal cuts who are looking to add new skills and training. The scholarships are available at the undergraduate, graduate and non-credit workforce development levels. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for a one-time scholarship of $1,000 for full-time students. Prorated discounts are available for part-time students. All application fees are waived. Undergraduate degree-seeking students can contact Steve Lem, academic advising and student development, at 610-683-4471 or lem@ Graduate degree-seeking students can contact Kittie Pain, graduate enrollment, at 610-683-4200 or graduate@ In addition, KU's non-credit workforce development program, KU Advance, is offering six months of free non-credit training to the first 1,000 displaced federal employees through Coursera's Career Academy. The academy includes more than 300 courses and more than 40 non-credit certificates ranging from data analysis to social media management. Non-credit students can learn more at the KU Advance website or by contacting Lori Lentz, extended learning, at extendedlearning@
