In one of their last conversations, Melvin Rodriguez made a promise to his grandmother that he would help patients fighting the cancer that was taking her life. \u201cIt was a promise to myself, a promise to serve and a promise to my grandmother,\u201d he says. \u201cShe\u2019s been my driving force.\u201d<\/p>\n
A dozen years later, that promise is coming true. A first-generation student from Camden, New Jersey, Rodriguez is graduating in May 2026 with a\u00a0Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology<\/a>\u00a0and minors in\u00a0Chemistry<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Classics<\/a>\u00a0from Montclair State University, and will attend medical school.<\/p>\n That promise has shaped his time at Montclair, especially his work in the lab with zebrafish to better understand cancer. Rodriguez dove into research focused on melanoma and fertility, presented his work at conferences and mentored fellow pre-med students \u2013 all while balancing rigorous science courses with Honors<\/a>\u00a0and Classics seminars.<\/p>\n