Amanda Conklin

Sometimes in life, people don’t always get second chances to make things right or become the best versions of themselves. Life’s circumstances and choices made sometimes prevent people from reaching their full potential. For McKean County native Amanda Conklin, there were several years in which her circumstances and choices prevented her from living a fulfilled life and establishing a meaningful career.

Life was difficult for Conklin and her mother growing up. They moved around McKean County between different towns and homes, working to get by. There were also abusive individuals who entered their lives throughout her childhood and early adult years that caused her severe physical and emotional harm. It made for tough childhood and teenage years and eventually spiraled to where she became a substance misuser for several years. As a result, she was unable to finish high school. Her addiction and diagnosed mental health conditions consumed her life and made it difficult to hold down a job or finance a place to live on her own.

She spent her 20s living around McKean and Warren counties, with stops in Pittsburgh and even as far away as Texas. She was homeless and spent around eight years not having a consistent place to lay her head at night. After returning to her native McKean County around five years ago, everything changed for the better. She was still homeless but was tired of this chapter of her life. She wanted to get clean and improve her future. All she needed was one break her way and a sign that it was going to work out.

This break came from the help of The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Bradford. In the fall of 2018, they helped her secure her first stable place to live in a long time with a landlord named Ginny Wilcox. Wilcox, over time, has become much more than a landlord for Conklin, and she is truly someone that’s changed the trajectory of her life. In the spring of 2019, Conklin felt comfortable and strong enough to ask Ginny for help in getting sober. The conversation escalated and a few months later, Conklin was clean. After crossing off this first goal of getting clean, she set her sights on another task that meant a great deal to her – completing high school. “I believe that sometimes God puts people in your life to help you and that’s what Ginny was for me,” said Conklin. “It was a way to have that person who would help me succeed and keep me on track. Every time something was hard or there was an opportunity to slip up, Ginny was there to make sure I kept moving. She’s been there to hold my hand and encourage me to not stay stagnant.”

Conklin began working to complete the requirements for her General Educational Diploma (GED). She finished the requirements and testing in a year’s time in the fall of 2020. Around this time was her first encounter with Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. At a 9/11 Memorial event in Bradford, she spoke with a representative and immediately became intrigued by the thought of college. The interaction she had was truly life changing and with that, she had her next goal in sight. “That interaction was something I will never forget because the representative was so friendly and spoke highly of NPRC. I could feel that this was something I wanted to do, but I was unsure I was going to be accepted. Fortunately, they accepted me, and I also qualified to receive aid.”

After finishing her GED and using 2021 as a year of preparation and to address health problems, Conklin took the leap to begin her journey at NPRC in January 2022. She is on track to graduate with her Associate of Arts in Social Sciences degree in May 2025. She is hopeful the next step is to complete a bachelor’s degree online in social sciences. “It’s all a work in progress, but I’d love to continue my learning and one day earn a master’s or doctorate degree,” said Conklin. “What I hope can happen after my bachelor’s degree is get a good job and then eventually continue with more school.”

These milestones remain down the road as she continues to focus on finding her niche in social sciences and continuing to be a Dean’s List student. A huge advocate and supporter of Conklin at NPRC has been her Student Engagement Specialist, Sandie Rohlin. “I can’t say enough good things about Sandie,” noted Conklin. “The way she’s advocated for me and treated me from our first interactions back in 2021 has been nothing short of genuine. She always makes sure that her students are staying on top of their work and completing everything they need.”

Conklin also expressed deep appreciation for NPRC’s Director of Arts and Sciences, Ben Blood, and Instructor of Sociology, Amanda Bindics. Bindics was instrumental in helping Conklin move from a business student to a social sciences student. She saw her passion for her coursework and approached Conklin about making the switch in degrees. Blood was one of the first professors Conklin had and was someone who showed a genuine interest from the start in helping her. “Some colleges can sometimes be too large that they become informal and lack the personal touch. NPRC is not like that. I enjoyed how honest, respectful, and genuine Mr. Blood was in his classroom and his genuine interest in helping us all learn. As for Amanda [Bindics], she has made classes an open forum and is very inclusive for all students. I’ll always be grateful for her showing me that social sciences would be a good fit.”

Through her own struggles, Amanda Conklin has found a genuine interest in wanting to help people never go through circumstances like hers. If they do, she can be there to support and guide them to the resources they need. This is her second chance at education, and she is making the most of the hard work she’s done to overcome addiction, finish high school, and nearly finishing a college degree. With the grace of those at the YWCA, her close friend Ginny, and a team of professionals at NPRC, Amanda Conklin has found her tribe. Her future could not be brighter. “Overcoming addiction and finding the right path can be done. I’m proof of that. It’s worth it to find ways out of situations you do not want to be in for better ones. People love and value you; you just have to find the right ones who make you feel that way,” she said.