Meet a Colleague: Bethany Ozorak Bethany Ozorak serves as associate director of Community-Based Learning.

W&L News Office
October 7, 2026

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have worked at W&L for almost five and a half years!

Q. What is the favorite aspect of your job at W&L?
I enjoy working with the students. I find it rewarding to help them engage with the local community while supporting their personal and professional growth.

Q. If you chose a different path, what other career would you have?
I love reading, so I’d probably be a librarian! I also find dinosaurs fascinating, so also maybe a paleontologist.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Jackson, New Jersey.

Q. What was your favorite subject in school?
English! I have a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in education, English. My passion for community engagement really developed once I became an AmeriCorps VISTA after completing my master’s. I now hold a Ph.D. in community engagement.

Q. Name one person from history you would like to spend a day with and why.
If she were not a fictional character, I would love to spend a day solving a mystery with Nancy Drew.

Q. Who is the most famous person you have met and where did you meet them?
My dad was an electrician and worked on the “Ed” television show set. He took my siblings and me to a day of filming, and we met Julie Bowen (known for Modern Family) and Thomas Cavanagh.

Q. What do you like to do away from work?
Spending time with my daughter and husband is a priority! My prime time at home includes tummy time, reading picture books, laughter, and singing together.

Q. What is your least favorite chore at home?
I love my cat, but the litter box!

Q. What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Picking out the perfect Christmas tree. My husband likes the big ones, but I like the small ones. We usually meet in the middle.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
I would say becoming a mother — the adventure of a lifetime, for sure.

Q. What is your all-time favorite food or food dish?
I really like a nice soft brownie.

Q. Where would you choose to build your dream home?
I would love to be on an easily accessible hill overlooking the mountains, and within walking distance of a town.

Q. What is your all-time favorite book?
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.

Q. What song or artist could you play on repeat?
Right now, I am really into the song “Top of the World” by the Carpenters. My daughter and I listen to it every day in the car. It reminds me of her.

Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I actually have a lot of hobbies. Most people know I love reading, but I also like to crochet, garden, play board games, compete in puzzle competitions and play computer games!