Student Profile: Karina Rodriguez Leal

If you’ve ever wanted to know someone who genuinely loves doing taxes, Karina Rodriguez Leal is your girl. 

“I love math and I love dealing with money,” she said. 

Karina is a junior double majoring in Finance and Economics with minors in Spanish and Honors Studies. She grew up in Dallas playing tennis for 7 years. Now at Texas State, she likes working out and kayaking on the river when she has time. 

Karina presenting at San Marcos Mobility Festival

More than that, Karina loves school.

“I love college,” she said, “Ever since I was little I wanted to be at school for everything.”

Karina has a full-ride scholarship as a Terry Foundation Scholar, is in the Honors College Student Association, Caminantes and Stelos Scholars. She likes to be on campus most of the time so she can learn and develop as a person. She’s looking at being a consultant after graduating and then moving on to be a financial analyst.

“When I was little I really struggled with numbers,” Karina said. “I put so much time into it and now I really like it and can see myself doing it as a career.”

Karina is taking Bill Poston’s Housley Principled Leadership Course this semester, and it’s helped her realize her strengths. She went from working in a restaurant and hating it to working in sales and loving working with customers and transactions. 

“I realized sometimes I work on things that aren’t in my strengths,” she said. “It really took a toll on me.”

Karina is putting more time into her strengths and is excited to graduate next school year.