Thirty students in purple jerseys chanted my name as I rolled down the car window on move-in day. I glanced at my family, their phones raised to capture the huge grin on my face. That moment marked the start of my journey at Rice and McMurtry College, and it all began during O-Week 2023.
The week before classes begin, all new students at Rice participate in O-Week — a week filled with academic presentations, class registration and fun activities! Each residential college designs its own theme. As a new student in McMurtry BistrO-Week 2023, I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw my new family welcome me to my new home. My O-Week Advisors spotted me and yelled, “That’s my kid! That’s my kid!” before literally welcoming me with open arms. O-Week was the perfect time to let go of all my worries and lean on my advisors when I needed them. I knew right then that I wanted to be on the other side of that car window one day, yelling for a new student.
Fast forward to January of my freshman year, I applied to be an O-Week Advisor. I was ecstatic and realized that the opportunity I yearned for — to help the next class of Murts feel welcomed to their second home — would soon become a reality. In August, I moved in early along with the rest of the advising team of McMurtry AstrO-Week 2024 and began training. Advising that year led me to not only gain meaningful friendships with my O-Week group, but also gave me the opportunity to help foster friendships and serve as the one-stop shop for our new students. To this day, our O-Week group continues to eat family dinners together.
To increase my involvement with O-Week, I applied to be a Coordinator this past year. From January to August, my amazing team (shoutout Cara and Yazmine!) and I worked to create O-Week 2025. It was incredibly rewarding to see our logistic plans come to fruition, witness the smiles on the faces of our newest Murts, and watch O-Week groups continue to spend quality time together weeks after the event ended. All that made the inevitable stress worth it.
Comparing the nervous freshman I once was to the confident O-Week coordinator I am now, I know that Rice was the right choice for me the moment I stepped out of my car on move-in day. As I continue my journey at Rice, I'm excited to see where my path will take me next.
-Carlos, McMurtry ‘27 (Published on 9/23/2025)
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