DMC Nurse Education major Melissa Torres will serve as commencement speaker. Torres is the first student in recent memory to deliver the keynote address.Torres is also a member of the Class of Fall 2025 and will join her peers to “walk the stage” to receive her Associate in Applied Science in Registered Nursing degree after addressing everyone in the arena.A Corpus Christi native who graduated from W.B. Ray High School in 1992, Torres, is recognized for her exceptional commitment to academic excellence, service and leadership as she advanced her journey in health care education. She first graduated from Del Mar College with an Associate in Applied Science in Surgical Technology degree in 2004 and began a career as a medical professional with Driscoll Children’s Hospital.The 51-year-old takes pride in being a dedicated mother, partner and daughter and brings a deep sense of purpose to her studies and her future career as a registered nurse, and Friday night, she’ll address her graduating class with a theme focused on “bettering one’s self.”“I loved my job at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, but knew I could do more,” Torres says. “So, the reason I came back was because I needed to create a better version of myself. [That principle applies to everyone graduating this fall] because the community benefits from all of us since most graduates stay in the community. Everyone is benefiting from Del Mar College no matter whether a [graduate] is a welder, teacher, accountant or counselor.”Before Friday’s commencement, Torres will also receive her pins and cords during the Department of Nurse Education’s two ceremonies at Richardson Performance Hall on the Heritage Campus––including the Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society’s pinning and the department’s pinning that includes students taking the Florence Nightingale Oath. Torres has served as President of the Fall 2025 Nursing Pinning Ceremony Committee, leading the group with professionalism, collaboration and a strong commitment to her classmates.In addition to being a member of Alpha Delta Nu, Torres is an active member of the National Student Nurses’ Association and the National Society of Leadership and Success.For her next step after DMC’s Winter Commencement, Torres has been rehired by Driscoll Children’s Hospital, and she begins their Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Residency Program in February.