Grad Profile: Amanda Alfaro

The proud mother of two daughters and a non-traditional student, psychology graduate, Amanda Alfaro, will be this spring’s Pocono campus commencement speaker. She came to NCC at the age of 33 to seek an occupation that would allow her to contribute to society and make a difference. 

Interested in social psychology, Alfaro hopes to one day make lasting systemic changes through public policy. Alfaro aims to achieve this change by conducting research in social psychology, focusing on social identity, pro - and anti-social behavior, and attitude change. “I will use this understanding of why people and societies operate the way they do to create applicable solutions to improve the human experience for vulnerable populations. I aim to foster a more equitable and informed society, ultimately leading to a more compassionate world,” Alfaro says. 

While at NCC, Alfaro took advantage of the many resources the college offers. She utilized the Learning Center, met with writing tutors, worked with the librarians to focus her research and learn the intricacies of the databases. She frequented the Zen Zone, a place to decompress. She also used the job shadow program to network and learn from the workers at Lehigh County. 

Alfaro has been a member of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, serving as the chapter President of Beta Beta Chi on Pocono campus. In 2024, based on her academic achievement, community service and leadership potential, she earned the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship through PTK. She also made this year’s All-Pennsylvania (All-PA) Academic Team -- through which she will receive a scholarship to earn her baccalaureate degree after NCC, and she was named an Academic Team Gold Scholar. At this year’s annual Student Awards Convocation, she took home the Hites Family Foundation Higher Education Endowment Scholarship. With a family of four to consider, she says these awards help her on her journey to finish her degrees. 

As an avid reader and writer, Alfaro is currently working on her own children’s book. Her poetry has been featured in The Laconic, NCC’s literary and arts magazine. Alfaro will head to Columbia University or Lafayette College to continue her studies. 

“The first time I walked into this building to take placement testing, I was sweating bullets, worried that I would be judged or dismissed, I was instead met with an environment that fostered support, encouragement, and curiosity.”