Meet O-Week Advisors

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We love the experience new students get at O-Week at Rice University, but none of it could happen with the many, many students who come back from their summer early to be O-Week Advisors! We asked a few of them to tell us why they wanted to be an advisor as well as why they absolutely loved the experience. 

Hearing my advisors scream my name while driving up to Rice is a moment I will never forget. From day one, I have felt so welcome at Rice, and I wanted to pass this feeling to the future classes of Rice. Going into my senior year, I learned so much through my time at this incredible university, and I wanted to share my experiences with the next generation. Advising during O-Week was the perfect way for me to do that. Advising at Martel during O-Week 2022 might just be my greatest decision I have made at Rice.

Mary Brady, Jones '23, Advisor for Martel

A photo taken from above of a group of students working on very large banners laid out all over the floor.
A group of students wearing matching blue tie-dyed O-Week T-shirts jumps up in the air holding signs above their heads that say things like "Welcome to Martel College."

They say O-Week is forever, and they might just be right. My Advisors made me feel so welcome so quickly, and some of the best advice I got regarding both academics and social life at Rice came from them even after O-Week ended. Even after my freshman year, my O-Week group is still in touch and is still one of my biggest support networks at Rice. I found my Advisors such valuable mentors and resources that I hope to be the same for the O-Week group I advised for this O-Week. The advising experience was (and still is) so rewarding and being able to help new students while they transition to life at Rice, as well as meeting and working with other passionate Advisors, is amazing.

Shreya Challa, Martel '25, Advisor for Martel

A group of students from Martel walks through the Martel sallyport covered in paint and with their arms raised, ready for an O-Week event.
A large group of over 50 students, all covered with different body paint, all cram into one photo to pose before an O-Week event.

I matriculated into Rice during the fall of 2020. With everything going in the world at the time, I had very low expectations for my college experience. My Advisors and Martel College student leadership went out of their way to make me feel at home. They were incredibly thoughtful and supported me as a student and individual throughout my freshman year and beyond. I wanted to be able to pass that forward to the next generation of Martelians as an advisor and support them throughout their wins, losses, and everything in between. 

Devika Jhaveri, Martel '24, Advisor for Martel

Two students lean over and push one student laying on a skateboard down a hall filled with their classmates.
The Advisors for Hanszen College pose for a picture in front of their banner.

For O-Week, I decided to co-advise at Hanszen College. Co-advising means that I am an Advisor from another college (Sid Richardson), learning about all of Hanszen’s cool traditions and basically getting to experience O-Week again!

I wanted to become an Advisor/Co-Advisor because of the huge impact my own Advisors made on me. Coming into Rice, I was super nervous about transitioning to a new environment; however, ever since my Advisor walked me through the doors of Sid, I have felt at home. I wanted to make sure that all of the new students felt welcomed, so I worked hard to memorize their names and faces. Their reactions when we greeted them by name were priceless and definitely worth all of the hard work!

Co-advising at Hanszen was such an incredible experience. I met so many upperclassmen Hanszenites through Advisor training, and was able to welcome and meet many new students to Hanszen College. Hanszen has welcomed me with open arms, and has even offered me dual-citizenship at their college!

Austin Tran, Sid Richardson '25, Advisor for Hanszen

A group of students smiles for a photo at nighttime with a red firework in the background.
A group of students stands in a circle with their hands up, meeting in the middle like a huddle.

Pictures taken by Martel's O-Week photographers, Silas Newton and Brendon Farmer, and Hanszen's O-Week photographers, Robert Heeter and Ibrahim Elsharkawy.

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