Class of 2020 Senior Speaker: Alfa DeJesus ’20

While at Purchase, Alfa dedicated her time to collaborating with her peers. She played women’s basketball. She worked as a tutor and counselor in the youth program Great Potential. And she served as a mentor for the EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) programs for freshmen and sophomores.

Inspired by her peers, she eventually recorded and released one of the many self-written songs she kept in her journals and even performed at the Stood. Last semester she put together her very own show, where she encouraged her freshman mentees from the summer of 2019 to showcase their talent.

Alfa is incredibly grateful for the learning and growth she’s been able to obtain through the experiences of her education at Purchase.

She would like to thank her family and friends for always being loving and supportive of her journey. Thank everyone that ever attended her performances. With their presence alone Alfa learned that her voice would matter to the world as much as she wanted it to.

“I would like to wholeheartedly thank the Purchase college community, the faculty, advisors, coaches, and everyone at EOP for being a component of something bigger than themselves and creating a welcoming safe space for all,” Alfa says. “More importantly, she would like to thank the student body for being an undying source of inspiration.”

After graduation, Alfa plans to return home to the Bronx and continue to discover the ways in which she can impact the community around her. She will continue to write and perform locally. She hopes to be able to bring her ideas to life, create new projects, and collaborate with like-minded beings. Fate will carry her through.