Melissa Ruiz '25

Bio/Description

Major: Psychology
College: Rockefeller
International Experience: DIS Study abroad
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Hi, I'm Melissa! I am a senior in the psychology department and minoring in Latinx Studies. I’m from Elizabeth, NJ and I studied abroad with DIS Copenhagen. Studying abroad was one of the best experiences I’ve had and the program I was part of was such a huge part of that! One of the highlights of studying with DIS is the chance to travel while you're studying. As part of the curriculum, there’s a travel week where you explore another European city with your core class. My core class was European Clinical Psychology, where I learned various psychotherapeutic approaches and had the chance to hear firsthand from clinicians in the field. We traveled to Vienna, Austria—the home of Sigmund Freud. Instantly, I fell in love with the city and its history, especially when it came to psychoanalysis. My core class also traveled to other areas in Denmark to learn more from different professionals such as a sports psychologist, a couple’s therapist, a multisensory therapeutic center and a center for cancer and health. I also took an explorative elective where I was able to travel to Berlin, Germany with the course: Disaster Management Leadership. This was one of the most engaging classes I’ve ever taken where I learned about disaster prevention techniques from a Danish perspective. Aside from these academic trips, I did a lot of personal traveling with friends I made abroad. While I was in Copenhagen, I started a baking club with the support of DIS where we made pastries and sweets. Overall, I loved my study abroad experience and I’m always happy to talk about it! 

Student organization(s) I'm a part of at Princeton:
Princeton Psychology Society, SIFP, PLASA, SVC: El Centro

Feel free to also ask me about:
Studying abroad as a FGLI and Latina student

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