Star Student-Athlete Secures Women in Sports Honor
PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergen Community College three-sport student-athlete Melody Peralta represented the College at the New Jersey Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women “National Girls and Women in Sports Day” celebration, earning Bergen’s “woman of the year award.”
The honor recognizes her contributions to Bergen athletics as a leader, teammate and student. Seton Hall University hosted the 37th annual installment of the event last month, which featured Peralta and 13 other student-athletes from the Garden State Athletic Conference, where Bergen competes.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” she said. “I was very honored.”
Peralta, of Elmwood Park, lettered in three sports in high school - volleyball, basketball and softball - before graduating and entering Bergen. She continues to play all three sports at the College.
The award-winner said she draws inspiration from her “hard-working parents” and four-year-old sister. She plans to transfer to a four-year university after graduating from Bergen and hopes to one day work for the New York Mets.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.