Jamila Rodriguez poses in front of a tree on Talbot Green. Photo: Megan Jones

student news

BS/MPH Student Jamila Rodriguez Selected for Melville Scholarship

Rodriguez, a first generation 4+1 student, was one of two Boston University undergraduates selected for the highly competitive award.

Jamila Rodriguez still remembers her first day of PH510 Essentials of Public Health, a class she enrolled in “just for fun” as a sophomore at Boston University.

Sophie Godley, clinical associate professor of community health sciences and the course instructor, asked the class to raise their hands if they were interested in a career in public health. A handful of students raised their hands but the majority of the class, including Rodriguez, sat still. Godley then made a bold claim: by the end of the semester, everyone would want to pursue an MPH.

In Rodriguez’s case, Godley was successful. A rising senior majoring in behavior and health, Rodriguez is now dual enrolled in Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Public Health as a student in Boston University’s BS/MPH program.

Thanks in part to a recommendation from Godley, Rodriguez will complete her undergraduate studies with the support of a Dean Elsbeth Melville Scholarship. She is one of two highly ranked rising seniors to receive the scholarship, one of the most prestigious honors for undergraduate students at BU. The annual award recognizes outstanding women in the junior class for their scholarly accomplishments, commitment to extracurricular activities at the university, and potential for future contributions in their chosen field.

“I feel very privileged because, although I’m first-generation and low-income and sometimes it feels like I got the short end of the stick, I’ve realized that simply being here at BU and being given this opportunity is one of the greatest privileges of all,” says Rodriguez.

In her letter recommending Rodriguez for the scholarship, Godley highlighted Rodriguez’s impressive tenacity and grit as she balances rigorous coursework and leadership roles in organizations across BU with a wonderful sense of humor.

“What stands out for me about [Rodriguez] is that she is just incredibly enthusiastic about all that she sets her mind to,” says Godley. “Her energy is infectious, and she is such a pleasure to teach and have in a classroom.”

Rodriguez also served as a teaching assistant for human anatomy. Following the completion of her MPH, she is considering merging her interests in psychology and public health through a career in medicine. She currently visits the BU Medical Campus on a nearly daily basis as a participant in the Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN), an eight-week program for undergraduates hosted at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center that involves structured clinical, didactic, and mentored research activities. Ultimately, Rodriguez would like to promote mental health through her work.

“In my family, mental health is now a thing that’s openly talked about, but it wasn’t necessarily before. And I don’t blame my family—I love my family—I think that’s just kind of an older mindset in some Latino households,” says Rodriguez, who proudly identifies as half Peruvian and half Ecuadorian. “I have an older sister, I am the youngest, [and] she had a very unique journey in her mental health. She’s doing amazing now—she’s a teacher. But I think that’s what sparked the interest within me.”

Rodriguez looks forward to returning to the Medical Campus in September for her classes at SPH. She is considering declaring a certificate in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (CAPDIE), but jokes she is “a little biased” because Godley, who helped her discover her passion for public health, is a faculty member in the Department of Community Health Sciences.

The Dean Elsbeth Melville Scholarship was established in 1978 by the Trustees of Boston University to honor Dean Elsbeth Melville’s “splendid and varied contribution” to the education and lives of women at Boston University. Recipients receive a minimum of $1,000 up to full tuition depending on financial need.