Southwest Graduate Receives Harvard Degree
June 8, 2022
Above, Alex's family surrounds him on the day of his graduation, May 26, 2022.
From left to right: Bryan Jimenez, Prudencio Jimenez, Marisela Jimenez, Alejandro Jimenez, Denise Jimenez, Brian Stephenson, and Liliana Jimenez-Stephenson.
From left to right: Bryan Jimenez, Prudencio Jimenez, Marisela Jimenez, Alejandro Jimenez, Denise Jimenez, Brian Stephenson, and Liliana Jimenez-Stephenson.
Ezra DeVore
A Southwest graduate has received a Bachelors of Arts from Harvard University completely free of debt, graduating on May 26 of this year in the top 5% of his class.
Alejandro (Alex) Jimenez is originally from Washburn, and graduated from Southwest High School in 2016, though he’s spent his recent years in Cambridge, Mass., attending Harvard University to study Economics.
According to Jimenez, his ambition stemmed from a very personal place. “I set my sights to attend Harvard because I’m the son of immigrant parents who instilled in me awareness of the opportunities and resources available to me in this country.
"In my life, I’d like to give back to my community by showing the rising generation their potential for growth, just as my parents had done for me. If there is anyone from my home of Southwest Missouri thinking about applying to top colleges, I’d love to be a resource to them.”
Jimenez was accepted by a number prestigious universities from Los Angeles to New York City, though his focus was set. “I was specifically looking for financial opportunity. I learned that many top institutions are generous with applicants from a lower income family, and Harvard is the most generous with financial aid.”
Jimenez states that he was granted full financial coverage for his tuition, and was able to carry himself through his entire academic career without taking out a single loan.
This, however, would not mark the conclusion of Jimenez’s accomplishments. The young academic would go on to earn the Alyn A. Young Prize, and the John T. Dunlop Prize in Business and Government for his senior thesis on the relationship of sovereign nations and their debt.
The Alyn A. Young Prize is one of two prizes for thesis writers in the Economics department, awarded annually to an undergraduate in Economics who submits an outstanding honors thesis. Similar, but more exclusive, the John T. Dunlop Prize is awarded to the graduating senior who writes the best thesis on a challenging public policy issue regarding business and government. Jimenez’s thesis, titled “Political Economy of Sovereign Debt Restructuring: Burden-sharing, Haircuts, and the Creditor’s Outside Option” won both, and argues that when a country has a partial default, creditors have an outside option which strengthens their bargaining power with debtors.
“I wanted to feel like I had contributed something original,” he says, “something I had produced with the help of some really smart people, and a project I have completed on my own from start to finish. A senior thesis is the best way to do that.”
John A. Haigh, Co-Director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University, said that the thesis is “of significant interest to the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. It was ambitious and well-executed and our review committee was impressed with the sophistication of his analysis.”
Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics at Harvard and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, also commented on Jimenez’s Thesis, saying “This is a superb piece of scholarship that makes an important and novel contribution.”
However, not all of Jimenez’s time abroad was spent studying. Jimenez took a two year break to serve on a mission for his church, which he says taught him a great deal.
“During my two year mission for the church, I learned that serving others brings the greatest fulfillment in life. I served in the Persian-speaking congregations of the church in Los Angeles where I led an English class, gave community service, and taught others about God and Jesus Christ. My message to young people is to dream bigger and take risks. So many people told me that I’d be better off not trying, others will try to put a cap on your potential.
“Exceed expectations now, and you’ll thank yourself later. When I started at Harvard, I fell into the trap of sticking with subjects I was more comfortable with because I didn’t go to an elite high school. After my mission, I realized that I shouldn’t limit myself by comparing myself with others, and I took the dive into Economics.
"I ended up focusing on international macroeconomics and finance. I made connections with incredibly smart and accomplished professors who are leaders in their field.”
Alex states that these relationships were vital in gathering inspiration for the thesis, though his true motivation lies beyond.
“My faith has always been central to my motivation. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prioritizes personal growth and education. Besides that, I recognized that although there will always be people more capable or smarter than you, you are in charge of your work ethic and dedication. That can take you farther than you can imagine.”
The road to graduation wasn’t without its obstacles, however Jimenez says that his wife Denise was always there to offer support. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” he says. “When I hit a roadblock in my research and I was tempted to give up, my wife Denise was the one who encouraged me to continue. I definitely married up.”
Alex and Denise have been happily married since December 21, 2021. After graduation, Alex will work in Management Consulting in New York City and Denise will attend Yale Law School in the Fall.
A Southwest graduate has received a Bachelors of Arts from Harvard University completely free of debt, graduating on May 26 of this year in the top 5% of his class.
Alejandro (Alex) Jimenez is originally from Washburn, and graduated from Southwest High School in 2016, though he’s spent his recent years in Cambridge, Mass., attending Harvard University to study Economics.
According to Jimenez, his ambition stemmed from a very personal place. “I set my sights to attend Harvard because I’m the son of immigrant parents who instilled in me awareness of the opportunities and resources available to me in this country.
"In my life, I’d like to give back to my community by showing the rising generation their potential for growth, just as my parents had done for me. If there is anyone from my home of Southwest Missouri thinking about applying to top colleges, I’d love to be a resource to them.”
Jimenez was accepted by a number prestigious universities from Los Angeles to New York City, though his focus was set. “I was specifically looking for financial opportunity. I learned that many top institutions are generous with applicants from a lower income family, and Harvard is the most generous with financial aid.”
Jimenez states that he was granted full financial coverage for his tuition, and was able to carry himself through his entire academic career without taking out a single loan.
This, however, would not mark the conclusion of Jimenez’s accomplishments. The young academic would go on to earn the Alyn A. Young Prize, and the John T. Dunlop Prize in Business and Government for his senior thesis on the relationship of sovereign nations and their debt.
The Alyn A. Young Prize is one of two prizes for thesis writers in the Economics department, awarded annually to an undergraduate in Economics who submits an outstanding honors thesis. Similar, but more exclusive, the John T. Dunlop Prize is awarded to the graduating senior who writes the best thesis on a challenging public policy issue regarding business and government. Jimenez’s thesis, titled “Political Economy of Sovereign Debt Restructuring: Burden-sharing, Haircuts, and the Creditor’s Outside Option” won both, and argues that when a country has a partial default, creditors have an outside option which strengthens their bargaining power with debtors.
“I wanted to feel like I had contributed something original,” he says, “something I had produced with the help of some really smart people, and a project I have completed on my own from start to finish. A senior thesis is the best way to do that.”
John A. Haigh, Co-Director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University, said that the thesis is “of significant interest to the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. It was ambitious and well-executed and our review committee was impressed with the sophistication of his analysis.”
Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics at Harvard and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, also commented on Jimenez’s Thesis, saying “This is a superb piece of scholarship that makes an important and novel contribution.”
However, not all of Jimenez’s time abroad was spent studying. Jimenez took a two year break to serve on a mission for his church, which he says taught him a great deal.
“During my two year mission for the church, I learned that serving others brings the greatest fulfillment in life. I served in the Persian-speaking congregations of the church in Los Angeles where I led an English class, gave community service, and taught others about God and Jesus Christ. My message to young people is to dream bigger and take risks. So many people told me that I’d be better off not trying, others will try to put a cap on your potential.
“Exceed expectations now, and you’ll thank yourself later. When I started at Harvard, I fell into the trap of sticking with subjects I was more comfortable with because I didn’t go to an elite high school. After my mission, I realized that I shouldn’t limit myself by comparing myself with others, and I took the dive into Economics.
"I ended up focusing on international macroeconomics and finance. I made connections with incredibly smart and accomplished professors who are leaders in their field.”
Alex states that these relationships were vital in gathering inspiration for the thesis, though his true motivation lies beyond.
“My faith has always been central to my motivation. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prioritizes personal growth and education. Besides that, I recognized that although there will always be people more capable or smarter than you, you are in charge of your work ethic and dedication. That can take you farther than you can imagine.”
The road to graduation wasn’t without its obstacles, however Jimenez says that his wife Denise was always there to offer support. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” he says. “When I hit a roadblock in my research and I was tempted to give up, my wife Denise was the one who encouraged me to continue. I definitely married up.”
Alex and Denise have been happily married since December 21, 2021. After graduation, Alex will work in Management Consulting in New York City and Denise will attend Yale Law School in the Fall.