Tamara Siler, Brown '87
Deputy Director of Admission

My favorite Rice memories centered around my involvement in Rice theatre, including being part of the first musical at Rice with an all-Black cast, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at Brown College. Rice has always provided rich opportunities to be involved in theatre, long before we had the dramatic arts major that we now offer. Some of the people who appeared with me on stage during those years are now doctors, lawyers, teachers, businesspeople, but some have found steady work in the performing arts. Balancing my studies at Rice and my theatrical endeavors showed me what was possible, and to date I have appeared in over 80 stage productions in and around Houston with more on the horizon.

Brandon Mack, Wiess ‘06
Associate Director of Admission

One of my favorite moments at Rice was attending the first ever Rice Drag Show that was put on by Queers & Allies (now known as Rice Pride). It was a huge turn out of the Rice queer community, supportive students and staff and the Houston LGBTQ+ community. We had local drag performers who were part of the Imperial Court come out and support. We had students who performed as drag queens and kings. It was amazing to be in such a supportive environment and to see the queer community of Rice being embraced and celebrating each other. 

Sneha Kohirkar, McMurtry ‘15
Associate Director of Admission

My favorite memory at Rice is Move-in Day, which is the first day of O-Week. I was in the car with my parents driving up to Rice with all of the things I had packed and brought from California. As we turned into McMurtry, I was absolutely shocked to see that we were greeted by a bunch of screaming, dancing, and overjoyed upperclassmen students. Not only were they just bubbling with energy, they knew my name even before I had introduced myself! They proceeded to move all of my things up to my room for me with big smiles while my parents and I were told to relax and hang out. I could not have asked for a better welcome to Rice because it was at that moment that I realized I’d found my new home.

Kathlyn Anthony, Duncan ‘18
Admission Counselor

Some of my favorite memories surrounded my involvement in Camp Kesem Rice, a free summer camp for children who have been impacted by a parent’s cancer. I served as the Yellow Unit leader and the Operations Coordinator for two years. Kesem means “magic” in Hebrew, and it was a truly magical experience working with my co-coordinators and counselors to plan and host a fun and enriching week for our campers. My favorite parts of camp included Paper Plate Awards, the Talent Show, and getting to know all of my campers!

Pamela McInturff, Brown ‘21
Admission Counselor

Some of my favorite memories at Rice are with the people I met on day one of O-Week and stayed close with throughout my entire time at Rice. We all lived on the same floor at Brown our freshman year and my favorite tradition of ours was birthday dinners. For every person in the group's birthday, we always went out to eat at a place of their choosing and paid for their dinner - it was such a special tradition and eased the homesickness on birthdays!

Sarah Jin, Duncan ‘21
Admission Counselor

Coordinating Orientation Week (O-Week) for my residential college, Duncan, during my sophomore year was probably the first opportunity I got to really own a project from start to finish. Along with my wonderful co-Coords, I had to balance considering topics like mental health and inclusion with making the week fun and exhilarating; we worked with our Advisors and with university partners to ensure our New Students had a robust support network. While we ran into many challenges along the way, I couldn't be prouder of the thoughtful and exciting experience we led, and it helped me grow into a more confident and self-assured leader.