Melissa is a graduating senior majoring in Psychology and Spanish who is passionate about health and educational equity. She has worked with local Spanish-speaking immigrant children as both the president of the Temple University Youth Education and Maternal Support Association and as an Educational Programming intern at Puentes for Salud. Melissa hopes to continue to address inequities in social determinants of health as a clinical neuropsychologist after pursuing graduate school.

Mansi A. Shah, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Instruction Psychology and Neuroscience in CLA, says of Melissa “While academic excellence is admirable, I think what sets Melissa apart is her genuine interest in being involved in outreach and committing herself to this endeavor with just as much passion and dedication as with her schoolwork. I have witnessed this firsthand as I am faculty advisor for the student organization that Melissa is the president of: Youth Education and Maternal Support Association (YEMSA). Melissa took the responsibilities of YEMSA head-on, being prompt in responding to emails, establishing rapport with the non-profits YEMSA works with, and helping coordinate the various outreach events held by YEMSA. YEMSA has hosted wonderful events for K-12 students around Temple. I believe Melissa is an outstanding example of what Temple University embodies: an individual who works incredibly hard to give back to the community and genuinely values the pursuit of knowledge".