After an exciting three-month search for our second Dance Floor Theory master facilitators, we finally have found someone! Please help us welcome Melissa Ruiz to the Swift Kick team!
Melissa began her career in higher education in Conferences and Events, before transitioning into Residence Life and then Student Life and Academic Advising. She jokingly says there isn’t a job in Student Affairs she hasn’t done yet.
She obtained her Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University, along with a certification in Gerontology, and was a John A. Hartford Foundation Fellow.
Before college, Melissa was a competitive dancer, trained in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and hip hop. At the ripe age of 16, she went on tour with some of the country’s greatest dancers and choreographers through Dance America. Melissa’s talent also took her to the Miss New Jersey stage, where is placed first runner-up. Through her time in pageants, she combined her love of dance and advocacy for older adults by performing at nursing homes, coordinating fundraisers and educating people about Alzheimer’s Disease. After her grandmother was diagnosed, Melissa made it her goal to spread awareness and raise funds for the treatment and ultimate cure for the disease. She currently resides in New York City.
In her new venture into the Swift Kick family, Melissa is most looking forward to connecting with higher education professionals and students on another level. As the field changes, she is excited to offer solutions to keep the college experience as fun as it was for her.
We also asked her for 3 random Fun Facts about herself, and she did not disappoint!
2. She likes to (try to) speak in different accents. It just makes things funnier.
3. She has entirely too many unread promotional emails in her account. How many, you ask? Let’s just say that it is a 5-digit number.
Today we officially welcome her during our Quarterly Retreat, so check back in next week to find out how that went!
