Melissa Suzette Arzu’s Biography

Melissa Suzette Arzu is a mentor and proud Garifuna woman, whose life work centers on amplifying the stories, rhythms and resilience of her community. Born and raised in the Bronx to Honduran parents from La Ceiba and Santa Rosa de Aguan, she spent childhood summers with her grandmother in Honduras. The experience forged her fluency in Spanish, her Honduran pride and abiding love of music.

Melissa is a graduate of St. Pius V High School and the College of New Rochelle. She also holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercy College. She began her career as a preventative case worker, a role she held for five years. For the past three years, she has guided vulnerable New Yorkers as a HARP Care Manager for VIP Community Services' health-home program. Her call to serving others deepened after the unfortunate loss of her only child, Kevin, on June 4, 2022. The traumatic experience fuels Melissa's commitment to always meet others with empathy and advocacy.

Through Casa Yurumein, Melissa now stands shoulder with the next generation of Garifuna women, offering presence over perfection, healing alongside them, and honoring Kevin by turning compassion, family, faith and the power of cultural storytelling into purposeful mentorship. She was appointed to CB11 in 2026 as a Council Member Riley nominee.