Paulina Rodas Mejia ’26, a double major in economics and international relations, is pursuing research in economic development. We spoke with her about her interdisciplinary interests, the honors program, and being an international student from Honduras at Simmons.
“With international relations, I am focused on my writing and learning about the world. With economics, I can bring out my interest in math and theory,” says Paulina Rodas Mejia ’26, who is double majoring in economics and international relations, as well as double minoring in political science and public policy studies. “I hope to pursue a career in economic development, and that’s the reason why I am doing both majors.”
An international student from Honduras, Rodas is also involved in the honors program and serves on the executive board of the Economics Liaison, a student-led organization that connects students to faculty and alumnae/i.
Researching Economic Development
At the moment, Rodas is taking “Econometrics” (ECON 393), essentially the application of statistics to economics. This course is also part of her senior capstone research. “I am doing an analysis of the role of statistical capacity in the development of Latin America,” she says.
“Growing up in Latin America, I always wondered why certain regions were more developed than others. I am from the Central America area that’s less developed than, say, Mexico or Brazil,” she continues. “I was just curious why that is the case, and that question has animated my intellectual journey.”
A Thriving Community at Simmons
As someone who attended a small high school, Rodas was drawn to Simmons’ small class sizes. She also finds Boston to be a prime location for her undergraduate studies. “[The Office of Undergraduate Admission] was very supportive throughout the whole process,” she says. “I just felt like Simmons was the right place for me.”
Rodas has found her classmates to be “active and intellectually curious,” and the classroom experience is participatory. “Everyone just goes far and beyond what the professors expect … Simmons students want to thrive,” she says.
Thus far, Rodas’ favorite course is “International Monetary Systems” (ECON 220) taught by Professor Niloufer Sohrabji. “From this course, I learned a lot about economic development, and particularly the ‘resource curse,’” she says.
As Rodas explains, “some countries depend on a single natural resource such as oil for most of their economic activity. This type of dependence can contribute to the resource curse, which occurs when abundant natural resources weaken economic diversification, undermine institutions, and ultimately limit long-term development."
The course also taught Rodas about solutions and some of the history of other countries. “It was a very valuable class for my career aspirations in development. And it brought a whole new perspective for me on why some countries have developed, and others have not,” she says.
For Rodas, Professor Sohrabji. “is wonderful and inspiring … Her classes challenge me intellectually … and that is such a gratifying feeling.”
Beyond the classroom, Rodas has connected with other international students. One of the first events she attended at Simmons was an international student orientation. “That is where I actually met my best friends. We’ve been friends since day one,” she says.
Living and Learning in the Honors Program
When Rodas was a first-year undergraduate, she resided in a living and learning community with fellow honors students, all occupying the same floor of a dorm. “I got to meet a lot of people that way,” she says. “Simmons’ honors students are so brilliant and inspiring.”
Productive exchanges with other honors students provide additional learning opportunities. Rodas loves her coursework, and the rigor of her program has improved her writing. Being in the honors program “made me realize that this is what higher education truly feels like, and it was an enriching experience,” she says.
Rodas credits Professor Anna Aguilera for being a wonderful director of the honors program. “Being in the Simmons honors program helped me with my participation even before I actually raised my hand … this experience was so valuable to me.”
In her second semester at Simmons, Rodas took “Talking in the Twenty-First Century” (HON 190), which focuses on public speaking. “It was a whole class that taught us how to do presentations in college ... That class gave me a good sense of what a presentation should look like,” she says.
The honors program also offers funding for study abroad opportunities. This past summer, Rodas spent seven weeks in Geneva, Switzerland, where she conducted a social impact internship. “Through the School for International Training (SIT) Social Impact Internship program, where I had the opportunity to intern with SLM Impact Finance, I learned about how to apply financial tools to support inclusive and sustainable development initiatives,” she says.
The honors program has helped Rodas grow beyond academics. During her first year, she volunteered to be part of the honors planning committee. “We helped plan the annual honors awards dinner, so that gave me event planning and communication skills,” she says.
This semester, Rodas serves as a peer mentor to new honors students. “I help ease their transition into Simmons and into the honors program. From this experience, I’ve gotten to learn about how Simmons works as an institution,” she says. “Having the opportunity to connect with younger students has been so rewarding.”
Career Preparation at Simmons
“Throughout my whole career [at Simmons], I have been getting a lot of research experience,” Rodas says.
In conjunction with her current course, “Economic Internship” (ECON 370), Rodas is working as a business development and marketing intern at the Connor’s Kindness Project.
“This organization focuses on creating kindness kits, which are boxes made up of toys, positive quotes for kids, children in need, children in shelters, and children in hospitals,” she explains.
“I feel like I am having a positive impact and enabling community as a whole, but I am also doing that while applying my background in economics and international relations,” she says. “It has been a very good experience, and I would definitely encourage other Simmons students to do an internship while they can.”
Rodas advises students to “take advantage of the resources that Simmons and your supportive professors have to offer. They are always willing to help you out.”
Ultimately, “the most rewarding part of my studies is realizing that everything I learn can be used to improve someone’s life,” Rodas says. “Knowing that my work can help create opportunities for communities like the one I grew up in is what keeps me moving forward.”