mela 63e9cMelanie Arroyave, School of Arts & Sciences ‘20, is a Labor Studies & Employment Relations major with a minor in Public Health and has been on Dean’s list since she transferred to Rutgers from American University. While in Washington D.C. she interned for U.S. Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-8). At Rutgers she is a member of Tau Sigma National Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Douglas Residential College. Over the 2017-2018 winter break she externed at University of Pennsylvania Law School. During her spring semester she was accepted to the U.S. Coast Guard College Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI), Rutgers Institute of Women’s Leadership (IWL) Scholars Certificate Program, and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. After evaluating her options, Arroyave decided to pursue both the CSPI program and IWL Scholars Certificate Program. Over this summer the CSPI program required Melanie to undergo 8 weeks of Basic Training instruction at United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. Over the summer, Melanie was designated as a Hispanic Fund Scholarship scholar. Now, Melanie is proud to be serving her country as an active-duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard, where she is stationed both at Rutgers University and Recruiting Office Newark. Melanie’s primary interests are in Labor and Health Policy with a focus on health disparities among Medicare beneficiaries, and unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board.  After graduating she will be sent to Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. Once an officer she plans to earn her JD degree, and one day serve her country as a Judge Advocate General.