Two NCC Students Named PTK Scholars

Two Northampton Community College (NCC) Pocono campus students, Amanda Alfaro and Olivia Collumb, have been named Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society scholars. Both students have excelled academically and demonstrated leadership on their campus and in their community. Alfaro and Collumb were selected from a pool of over 2,000 applicants. 

President of NCC, David A. Ruth, Ph.D., said, “These students have accomplished a great deal to be proud of both in the classroom and in the community. It's no wonder they earned such prestigious awards!” 

Alfaro was named the 2025 Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Selection as a Coca-Cola Scholar was based on scores the students earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. Students were nominated to the team by college administrators recognizing their achievements. 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually, and the program is administered by PTK.  

Collumb has been selected as one of only 22 students to receive PTK’s 2025 Hites Transfer Scholarship, the Society’s largest scholarship offering at $7,500. The Hites Transfer Scholarship is awarded to Phi Theta Kappa members preparing to transfer to a bachelor’s degree-granting college or university. Scholars were selected by a panel of independent judges after submitting applications. 

The Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation was established by Robert Hites, an executive with Ralston-Purina in St. Louis, Missouri. The Hites Scholarship Program is made possible by the Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation and the PTK Foundation.   

Both of these scholars will be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, in Kansas City, Missouri, April 3-5.  

Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “Scholarships like these are integral to the success of these students in reaching their educational and career goals.” 

Congratulations to these students for their achievements that led to earning these scholarships.