Hatcher named Augusta Prep Director of Admission and Financial Aid

Mrs. Hatcher replaces Doreen Layug, who served as Director of Admission since the 2018-19 school year, and before that she worked in the Admissions and Human Resources for seven years and was the parent of two Prep graduates. Mrs. Layug's departure comes at this time of year due to a job transition for her husband that will take them to England next week. Thanks to Mrs. Layug's hard work over the last four years Prep has seen four straight years of enrollment growth. All of the employees at Augusta Prep wish Doreen and Leo the very best in their new adventure.

"We are thrilled to add Courtney Hatcher to our Senior Leadership Team in the role of Director of Admission and Financial Aid," Augusta Prep Head of School Derrick Willard said. "In addition to her warm and friendly demeanor, Courtney's education and experiences equip her to effectively engage prospective families and communicate the value of an Augusta Prep education. She worked for one of our feeder schools and is a parent at another, as well as being a current parent at Prep so I can think of few people more knowledgeable about the private school market in the CSRA."

Mrs. Hatcher earned her bachelor’s degree in government at the University of Virginia. She then went on to earn a Master of Education degree in educational leadership at Harvard University.

After seven years as a learning and development specialist in Human Resources at Morris Communications, Mrs. Hatcher dove into education full time.

In 2014, she founded Spark Academy, LLC,  an educational enrichment company offering on-site STEM enrichment classes for children ages 3 to 13.

From 2017 to 2022, Mrs. Hatcher worked in a variety of roles at Heritage Academy in downtown Augusta. She taught Middle School science, became Middle School Director and eventually Assistant Principal of the upper grades. During her last year at Heritage, she worked in administration, building relationships with corporate givers and supporting Heritage alumni.

Mrs. Hatcher said she’s excited to join the Prep leadership team. As an Augusta Prep parent, she has seen first-hand all Prep has to offer.

“I am honored and thrilled to join the incredible faculty and leaders at Prep, building upon the growth and excitement of the past few years," she said. "I am proud that Prep strives to be a diverse and welcoming community and encourages students to develop their unique gifts and talents. The new K-12 STEM facility is truly state-of -the-art and will take inquiry to a new level in the CSRA.”

Admissions inquiries can be directed to Courtney at: courtney.hatcher@augustaprep.org