The first in his family to attend college, Alvaro Ruiz has proven to be successful with a 3.91 GPA while double majoring in finance and international business. He is a participant in the College of Business Corporate Mentor Program, and, after becoming a member of the Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, frequently volunteers within the Tampa Bay area. In fact, Ruiz has helped build several homes in the community via Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, an organization that repairs the homes of low-income families that house senior citizens or persons with disabilities.

While many students find extra time to serve their community, Ruiz also serves his country as a soldier in the United States Army. Balancing the life and schedule of a citizen-soldier has not been an easy task – Ruiz has had to take mandatory breaks in his education in order to fulfill military duties. He says the Army has instilled in him discipline, motivation, and purpose – all tools that have helped him succeed in a classroom environment as well. 

Acting as a leader to many, Ruiz was recently promoted to corporal in the Army and has been recommended for advancement to sergeant. After graduation, he plans to pursue an MBA.

This summer he intends to study Portuguese at the U.S. Army’s Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. Ruiz plans to use that knowledge to study abroad in Latin America in the following year.