Melissa Ruiz, a graduate of the Middlesex College Nursing Program, has been elected to serve as the Class of 2025 student representative to the Middlesex College Board of Trustees for the academic year 2025-26.
Each year, Middlesex College graduating students recommend and vote for a member of their class to serve a one-year term to the board of trustees for the upcoming academic year. The student representative to the Middlesex College Board of Trustees is expected to participate in one board meeting and one board committee meeting per month and attend several college functions during the year.
“Melissa Ruiz exemplifies the empathy, dedication, and advocacy at the heart of the nursing profession,” said Middlesex College President Mark McCormick. “Her ability to listen, lead, and care for others reflects the very qualities that make great nurses, as well as trustees.”
In the nursing program, Ruiz learned compassion, attention to detail, and how to advocate for her patients. These are all skills she hopes to utilize as a member of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees.
“As much as I love to talk, this position gives me a chance to listen,” said Ruiz, a Perth Amboy native. “I can listen in on the things that are happening on campus and give the students a voice and explain to the board what students are thinking and worried about. I know I can be that person.”
Ruiz, a graduate from Perth Amboy High School, performed weekly rotations at Hackensack Meridian Health and worked for the Community Health Project for the Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society, for which she served as secretary. She also worked as a nurse at a youth camp in New Brunswick.
After graduating, Ruiz is taking some time off to spend with her family and study for her National Council Licensure Examination to become a registered nurse.
