The Power of Networking

Angelo Fattore, 2014 Northampton Community College (NCC) graduate, started his college experience as a shy student. Now, over 10 years later, Fattore boasts confidence that he credits to his time at NCC. 

As a first-generation college student, he had to pave his own way. His mother and father encouraged him to attend NCC because of the lower cost. “They offered to pay for a portion of my schooling, and this was the way they could afford to do that,” says Fattore. 

Fattore played volleyball in high school and was being recruited to play at small liberal arts colleges in the northeast. He knew, however, that it would be difficult to pay his way through his time at a private college. He also wasn’t sure what he wanted to study.  

Deciding that the best place to figure out his future would be NCC, Fattore enrolled right after high school. He spent three years as a general studies major, taking courses that led him to his career path. “Gary Guidetti's Business 101 course helped me to see that the field could be a good route for me,” said Fattore. “I have always enjoyed connecting people, relationship building, and helping people grow, which are a part of good business practice.” 

While at NCC, Fattore took courses that nudged him out of his comfort zone. “I was involved with The Commuter, the school newspaper. Everyone was assigned a beat, and mine was the President’s Office and Board of Trustees. So, I had to have conversations with some very influential people at the college, which was intimating,” recalls Fattore. 

Moving past his nerves when talking with college leadership would lead Fattore to bigger and bolder things on his education and career journeys. 

During his last semester at NCC, he remembers feeling sad that it was nearly time for him to leave the college. “I learned so much while I was at the college, and I found a community at Northampton.” 

Fattore went on to study business management at Moravian University, eventually concentrating on management organizational leadership. Michele Lohman, assistant director of advising and transfer services at NCC, helped him find the school that would be the best fit. Tim Semonich, Fattore’s friend and a fellow NCC alum, talked to him about continuing his studies at Moravian. 

While at Moravian, Fattore got involved with Greek life, student government, and studied overseas, broadening his horizons and helping him build connections. In 2015, he went on a two-week trip to study at the University of Oxford in England, which fueled his passion for traveling abroad. After that trip, he completed a three-month internship at a media firm in Dublin, Ireland, where he helped with digital research.  

At his graduation in 2017, he had the honor of representing his class as commencement speaker.  

Many students are excited by the opportunity to do one or two of these things in their college career. Fattore felt grateful to have been able to experience them all. 

After graduating, Fattore continued to travel. He worked at a facilities management firm in Australia, and later, moved to Poland to work at a K-12 school in administration.  

After about 14 months, Fattore decided it was time to return to the United States. He resumed his studies at Moravian to earn his master of business administration (MBA) and worked as a graduate assistant in 2019.  

Fattore’s time at Moravian never really came to an end. He went from working as a graduate business recruiter at the college to working in international recruitment. Today, he works as an assistant director of graduate, adult admissions, and partnership development. Along the way, he also earned his master of science in data analytics. 

“My intercultural experiences abroad have helped me have empathy and understanding when working international students. It’s also helped me in being able to build relationships with a variety of students from differing backgrounds,” says Fattore. 

Named Lehigh Valley Business 40 under 40, the NCC alum didn’t expect to get to this point in his career. 

“I wasn’t even sure what I wanted in life, and now, I've earned a dual master’s, have a successful career, and met so many great people along the way. I go back to the time when I sat down in President Erikson’s office, and I was white as a ghost. I was so scared to do that interview, but it gave me the courage to meet people and branch out. That lesson has continued to motivate me for past 10 years.” 

Fattore can’t stress enough how important it is to make connections. He does work with the United Way, Chamber of Commerce, and Study Pennsylvania, community work he values just as much as what he does at Moravian. “The ability to network is key to success in your professional world. Meeting people to meet people is undervalued. You have to be able to build on and grow those relationships.”  

Fattore’s brother followed in his footsteps, becoming an NCC alum in 2017. Having served on NCC’s alumni association board, Fattore had the privilege of being an alumni speaker at his brother’s graduation. 

“NCC gives students this testing ground to experiment with what they need and want out of their futures until they can figure it out. I have a lot of mentors who have presented opportunities to me. I have made friends all over the world and in the Valley, and it’s just been very special.”