The Widener University board of trustees has appointed rising junior nursing major Maritza Garcia ‘25 to the student seat on the board. She will serve a two-year term.
As the student trustee, Garcia, 20, of Bensalem Township, joins the prestigious governing body entrusted with the institution’s long-term success. The board monitors and oversees critical aspects of the university, including educational quality, financial strength, mission and the student experience. She will provide a critical voice to her fellow board members about what it’s like to be a student in the Widener community.
Garcia has excelled both inside and outside of the classroom. Her accomplishments include serving as a resident assistant within the Office of Residence Life and becoming a certified peer educator through this position. She also re-established the Latinos Unidos student organization, which had been dormant at Widener, seizing an opportunity to provide a greater sense of belonging for students who identify within the Hispanic culture and community at the university. She serves as the group’s president.
An aspiring neonatal intensive care nurse, Garcia is a C.R.E.W. leader in the Office of Student Engagement. Students who hold the position, which stands for the Committee Responsible for Enhancing Widener, serve as guides for helping acclimate new students to Widener and are instrumental in the university’s summer registration and orientation process.
In addition, she serves as a pride mentor in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and pride service site leader with the Center for Civic and Global Engagement. Outside of Widener, she works as a barista shift lead at Starbucks and a shift operation manager at CVS Pharmacy.
“Maritza Garcia is well known across campus for creating a sense of belonging among students of all backgrounds. She goes above and beyond in her many leadership roles, and exhibits compassion, thoughtfulness and generosity,” said Paul Beideman ‘79, chair of the board of trustees. “We are excited to work with her and know she will contribute important ideas that will benefit the Widener experience for all students.”
“This new chapter brings new responsibilities and comes with my great appreciation for those who believed in me enough to select me for this position. I look forward to using this platform to further assist those at the university and be a voice for the student body,” said Garcia. “Since coming to Widener, I have made it a mission to be involved in not only the university, but the local community. I find that caring for others is dear to my heart and it inspires my nursing career, as well as fulfills me personally to positively affect the community. I also want to effectively lead those around me to ensure their experience at Widener is successful.”
Garcia will attend her first board meeting in October. She fills the student seat that had been held by Ijjae Hill ‘23, who earned her bachelor’s degree in visual and performing arts in May. Garcia is a graduate of Bensalem High School, and is the daughter of Daniel and Vanessa Garcia.
