Ramapo Lacrosse star and Communication Arts major Alyssa Curto ’25 used her personal experiences as a driving force for her research on cleft lip and palate 

May 8, 2025

by Lauren Ferguson

When Ramapo College of New Jersey Women’s Lacrosse Goalie Alyssa Curto ‘25 was tasked with researching a health topic and creating a campaign for her Health Communication in Theory course, she wanted to focus on something that excited her.

“I wanted something really interesting. I wanted something personal to me,” said Curto, of Staten Island, who will graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Arts this month.

Curto — who recorded her 300th save this season, the fourth highest in Roadrunner history – chose to focus on the impact of social stigmatization on people with cleft lips and palates, and how they are viewed in the construct of attractiveness.“My whole paper is a call to action for education on this topic,” she said. Curto underwent two surgeries as a baby after she was born with a cleft lip and palate. Her condition also led to recurrent ear infections, rounds of ear tubes, and years of speech therapy.

“Speech was one of the biggest things for me, because talking is obviously a big part of your life, and I couldn’t properly pronounce words,” Curto explained. 

Alyssa Curto ’25 is the goalie for the Ramapo College Women’s Lacrosse team and recorded her 300th save this season

As Curto researched the topic for her project, she said it was satisfying to see actual statistics and literature related to her own experiences. According to Curto’s research, about 1 in 700 babies are born with cleft lip and palate, which occurs when a child has an opening in the upper lip and roof of the mouth after their mouth and lips do not correctly develop during pregnancy.

“Although many people know about cleft lip and palate, they do not fully understand what it is and the impact that it can have on an individual, not only medically but mentally as well,” Curto wrote in her paper. 

Through her research, she found that people with the congenital disability often face intense bullying, which impacts their self-confidence, that social anxiety is common for them, and they often “feel excluded by society because they do not fit into the traditional idea of attractiveness.”

To combat these issues, Curto proposed a public awareness campaign with a goal of educating young adults about the medical and psychological attributes of people with cleft lip and palate. Ultimately, the campaign would strive to allow those with the condition to “feel entirely accepted in social settings” and “feel comfortable and understood by those around them.”

In her paper, she proposed doing this through posters and social media posts presenting the medical and mental health aspects of the condition, as well as an online campaign entitled “The Beauty of a Smile” featuring those with cleft lip and palate sharing their experiences and feelings. 

“When someone is born with a cleft lip and palate, it plays a role in how they view themselves and how others view them. The campaign will convey a powerful message of acceptance and awareness,” Curto wrote.

Curto was guided in her research by her faculty advisor, Dr. Satarupa Dasgupta, associate professor of applied communication at Ramapo. “She has given me so much knowledge and confidence,” Curto said of her professor. Dasgupta mentored her and encouraged her to submit her project to prestigious communications conferences.

As a result, Curto presented her project at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Northeast Regional Conference at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, as well as Ramapo’s 13th Annual Scholars’ Day. Her project was also put on display at the 116th Annual Eastern Communication Association Convention in Buffalo, NY, which Dasgupta described as “one of the most competitive conferences with a low acceptance rate.”

“I am very proud of her,” said Dasgupta, adding that she encourages her students to venture into work that they are passionate about. 

Lauren Travaglini, Coach Barbella, and Alyssa Curto at Senior Day for Women’s Lacrosse

Curto’s lacrosse coach is also proud of the student-athlete she called “the backbone of our team for the last four years.”

“Juggling athletics and research, especially one that’s so personal to Alyssa, it’s not an easy thing to do, but it shows who she is and speaks volumes about her maturity,” said Nicole Barbella, head women’s lacrosse coach at Ramapo.

“As their coach you hope they grow into well-rounded people and thoughtful leaders, and Alyssa has definitely done that,” Barbella added.

For Curto, her project was much more than a poster and paper. 

Curto said her mother, Kim, underwent about 20 surgeries for her own cleft lip and palate, and always stressed to her that she was beautiful. “My mom was really big on, you have cleft lip and palate, but you’re still like everyone else, you are still beautiful like everyone else. She was really big on promoting that to me,” she said.

“I have it, my mother has it, one of my cousins has it, so my kids or my sister’s kids could also have a cleft lip and palate,” she explained. “It is really important to be able to educate people.”

Alyssa Curto ’25 and her mom, Kim, at the 2025 Ramapo College Scholars’ Day

Curto’s family joined her as she presented her project at Ramapo’s Scholars’ Day. 

“I am very honored that she chose this topic, and to come so far, it is just beyond words,” her mother Kim said.

Curto, co-secretary of Ramapo’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s official honor society, plans to pursue a career in health communications following graduation.