Danielle Zalamea ’21, ’23 Takes on Leadership Role in College Counseling
Iona’s Associate Director of Admissions will serve as president of the Westchester Putnam Rockland Counseling Association for 2026-27
Danielle Zalamea ’21, ’23, Iona University’s associate director of admissions, has been elected president of the Westchester Putnam Rockland Counseling Association for 2026–27.
For Danielle Zalamea '21, '23, a career in admissions was never just about recruiting students — it was about building the same sense of belonging she found as an undergraduate and helping others discover it for themselves. That commitment to community has carried her from student ambassador to Associate Director of Admissions and now into statewide leadership.
Zalamea has been elected President of the Westchester Putnam Rockland Counseling Association (WPRCA) for the 2026-2027 year, marking the latest milestone in a career that has taken her from Iona student to admissions professional. Prior to returning to campus in a full-time capacity, Zalamea majored in Biology Pre-PT during her undergraduate years at Iona and went on to earn her MBA in Health Care Administration, a path that reflected her evolving interests as much as her deepening ties to the University.
Zalamea's connection to admissions began as a student, when she joined Gael Guides, Iona's student ambassador program. What started as a campus involvement opportunity quickly became something more.
"It has sparked my love for higher education and promoting the great school — and place — that Iona is," Zalamea said.
That early spark set her on a course that would ultimately shape her entire career.
Since then, Zalamea has built her professional life around Iona's Admissions office, where she has attended national conferences alongside University leaders and developed deeper connections across the school counseling field, including her growing involvement with WPRCA. She credited her colleagues with encouraging her to pursue greater leadership responsibility along the way.
"I have to thank our admissions team, who encouraged me to take on more leadership roles and responsibility within the WPRCA," Zalamea said. "This is an exciting point of my career, as it’s broadened my horizons with higher education as a whole."
As she steps into the WPRCA presidency, Zalamea carries Iona's mission with her, extending the University's commitment to guiding students toward the right educational path far beyond its own campus.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2026, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.