VISIT

Meet Our Tour Guides

Rice is full of amazing students who come from a diverse set of backgrounds and interests, and we are so excited for you to meet some of them! Our tour guides are passionate about sharing their Rice experience and eager to show you a glimpse of what it’s like to be a Rice Owl.

Abby '26

Lebanon, Ohio

Residential College:

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite Rice experience has been having the chance to advise the new students and welcome them to the university. I loved preparing for the students to come, moving them in, and supporting them throughout O-Week and beyond. I have loved the chance to make new students feel welcomed and loved!

Interests: MUSIC, RELIGION, RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Abigail '26

Clinton, Missouri

Residential College:

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
I love being asked what my favorite part of Rice is because I love talking about the traditions and community of the residential college system.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, MUSIC, RELIGION
Adam '25

Granville, Ohio

Residential College: Brown

Why did you choose Rice?
Coming from central Ohio, I get this question all the time. I first considered rice as an eighth grader who was interested in architecture. As I grew older and my interests shifted into applied math, business, and music, I learned that Rice would accommodate and offer me meaningful experiences no matter how drastically my interests shifted. I also wanted to be surrounded by people who see the value in a diverse campus where collaboration and support eclipse competitiveness. On top of this, I felt some sort of serenity and comfort when I visited during my junior year of high school. The campus was beautiful and the students were friendly, both of which paired nicely with my realization that Rice would accommodate my academic, extracurricular and social interests. I also loved the opportunities that lay beyond the hedges of Rice’s campus in the greater Houston area.

Interests: ATHLETICS, ENVIRONMENTAL, MUSIC, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Adrien '23

Katy, Texas

Residential College: Lovett

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite experience at Rice has been working with fellow emergency medical personnel in Rice EMS. I really enjoy learning about medicine and contributing to the health and safety of all Owls.

Interests: ARTS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, MUSIC, RELIGION
Alessa '26

Houston, Texas

Residential College:

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose to come to Rice for multiple reasons. First, I love the emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion that makes everyone feel welcome no matter their identities, which is carried out by not only the faculty but also the students. Second, the campus is beautiful and one can find a new study spot every day. Third, there are some very cool classes that you can take just for fun, like one that just consists of working in Rice's garden. Last, there's a myriad of student-run businesses like Chaus, Ktru, Hoot, East-West, etc. that are continuously expanding and supporting the student-life on campus.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Alex Li '26

Memphis, Tennessee

Residential College:

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice first and foremost because of its number one ranked Sport Management program. I’ve always had a passion for working in sports, so Rice made the most sense. Additionally, Rice’s people, location, and diversity also stood out to me.

Interests: ATHLETICS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Alex Little '26

Dallas, Texas

Residential College:

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
I really like getting asked about Rice's social scene when I give tours. I think Rice offers a pretty vast array of opportunities when it comes to social activities, which means every student -- whether they prefer small gatherings or large events -- can find their place and explore their interests. I feel that the diversity in regards to social offerings is one of Rice's greatest assets, and I could talk about the friends I've made here for hours!

Interests: ARTS, ENVIRONMENTAL, RESEARCH
Amy '25

Rockville, Maryland

Residential College: Sid Richardson

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite experience at Rice is playing volleyball with my friends in the Sid Quad in our free time. We originally formed a team for a volleyball tournament during one of our residential college’s KITC (Keg in the Club) events near the beginning of the year and enjoyed playing with each other so much that we played together again for the intramural volleyball season and now use it as a way to destress throughout the semester.

Interests: CULTURE, MUSIC
Andrew '24

Houston, Texas

Residential College: Brown

Why did you choose Rice?
Having grown up in Houston, I’ve seen the positive impact that Rice has had on my community. I chose Rice because I was looking for a top-tier education that would challenge me academically and give me the opportunity to interact with so many amazing intellectuals, artists, and athletes. Likewise, I wanted the opportunity to get to know my professors and learn from them in a personalized setting. Rice also provides so many opportunities in terms of activities: so much so that I could fill all of my time with meaningful activities and still have unexplored areas! Likewise, there are so many opportunities to grow professionally (for a career/graduate school) and personally by interacting with the career center (and their plethora of events and activities), the Doerr Institute, amongst others. Rice's small size allows for me to have so many leadership opportunities within these organizations.

Interests: ARTS, ATHLETICS, MUSIC, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Angelina '24

New York City, New York

Residential College: Brown

What is your favorite Rice experience?
Definitely O-Week! But not even my own O-Week. Advising this past semester has actually been my favorite Rice experience because I’ve developed such amazing bonds because of it! O-Week is a huge part of virtually everyone at Rice’s experience, and for good reason! There’s so many amazing events and traditions stuffed into this one week of beautiful chaos. I was a Diversity Facilitator at my home college of Brown this most recent O-Week. It was such an amazing opportunity to foster a more inclusive environment at my residential college. It was also a great way to connect with New Students at Brown. Some of the New Students from my O-Week group have actually become some of my closest friends! I’m looking forward to even better O-Weeks to come!

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Anne '25

Atlanta, Georgia

Residential College: Lovett

What is your favorite Rice experience?
One of my favorite Rice experiences was during fall semester of freshman year. The day happened to be jam-packed with events, such as former President Leebron’s BBQ as well as Esperanza, which is RPC’s fall formal dance. So, my friends and I basically all pulled up to the BBQ in some fancy clothes (and got to take a picture with Leebron himself!). Then, we went to Esperanza and took the cutest photos ever. But, it didn’t end there. I was also volunteering for the clean-up shift for Esperanza as a part of RPC, and I got to take back all the leftovers (2 bottles of sparkling cider + a whole box of cake) for the rest of us to enjoy as a late-night snack in between going to another event that Lovett was hosting that night. Admittedly, that made for one super long day, but never in my life would I have ever imagined for that day to be possible.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Annie M. '25

Dallas, Texas

Residential College: Wiess

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour?
My favorite question to be asked is Why did I choose Rice? For me, the question is a great way to show how all of the different topics I've talked about on my tour connect together to make the entire university so unique. It gives me the chance to talk about Rice in a more personal way than other tour topics do. I also think by sharing how I decided on Rice, I can perhaps help prospective students figure out what they are looking for in a college and how they might decide.

Interests: ARTS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE
Anthony '26

New Orleans, Louisiana

Residential College:

What is your favorite Rice experience?
It definitely has to be O-Week (or Orientation Week). For me (and all of my friends), O-Week was more than just all of the informative events, fun social get-togethers, or a helpful transition into college. O-Week provided me with a group of friends that is always there for me and a group of people that I can trust and confide in– exemplifying Rice’s culture of care.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL JUSTICE
Anuska '25

The Woodlands, Texas

Residential College:

Why did you choose Rice?
As a pre-med, I chose Rice because of the opportunities, resources, and close community provided to pre-health students. In addition, the residential college system promised an avenue for me to form diverse friendships beyond my academic peers!

Interests: ARTS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Arryana '26

Beaumont, Texas

Residential College:

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
My favorite question to be asked is why I decided to attend Rice. I love talking about how welcoming our community is, and how I really felt like I belonged here as soon as I moved in for O-Week!

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, MUSIC, RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE
Arturo '25

Fort Payne, Alabama

Residential College: Hanszen

What is your favorite Rice experience?
One of my favorite experiences from my time at Rice was going to the Houston Zoo and Museum of Natural Science for the first time. I got to explore new parts of Houston and have fun with some of my new friends. Since then, I've gone back to the Hermann Park area many times because it's a very integral part of Houston only a short walk away.

Interests: ATHLETICS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, RESEARCH
Austin '25

Katy, Texas

Residential College: Sid Richardson

What is your favorite Rice experience?
I knew Rice was my home after this moment.

It was about 9:01 pm on September 14th, 2021: a whole month since I first arrived to Rice. It was pouring rain outside. Immediately, I texted the fourth-floor group chat and told them to change quickly— we were going to play in the rain.

Sure, we had homework to finish and projects to complete. But for the thirty minutes that we were outside in the rain, that didn’t matter. There were sprinklers shooting out waves of water all around our residential college quad— it was a whole waterpark. I looked around at all the other kids from my Residential College screaming in joy and running around. The rain brought a cathartic release of emotions as I realized that Rice had given me everything I had wanted from the college experience: a place of happiness and a sense of belonging within my residential college, and the entire Rice Community overall.

Interests: STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Azari '26

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Residential College:

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
One of the questions I absolutely adore being asked revolves around the Residential College systems because, honestly, it's one of the most unique and coolest things about being a Rice student. It's like a treasure trove of diverse perspectives and experiences that you won't stumble upon anywhere else. And, of course, it gives me the perfect excuse to proudly proclaim that Martel is hands down the crème de la crème of colleges... like, seriously, the best one EVER! (Okay, maybe I'm a bit biased, but who can resist that Martel rizz?)

Interests: ATHLETICS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE
Bela '26

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Residential College:

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice because I could tell that there was an incredible family dynamic throughout the campus! Rice truly cultivates a strong and diverse community, especially through the residential college system, which was a huge draw for me. The campus culture in general is very supportive and uplifting, which was something that really stood out to me. I loved how each college has its own unique culture and traditions and allows you to connect with other students from different backgrounds, interests, and experiences.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Blaine '24

Irvine, California

Residential College: Wiess

Why did you choose Rice?
How do you make any important decision? A pros and cons list! Okay, but on a real note, I knew that no matter how that list came out among my top schools, there was something within me that knew I would pick Rice—something unsaid that was pulling me here. Choosing Rice is quite possibly the first real decision I made for myself, sitting in my room at the start of the pandemic, nearing the end of my high school career. That decision has filled me with confidence everyday I’m reminded of it, as I remember how indescribably fulfilled I am at this school.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, MUSIC, SOCIAL JUSTICE
Brendan '24

Euless, Texas

Residential College: Martel

What is your favorite Rice experience?
Being an advisor during O-Week was an incredible experience. I’m super grateful that I had the opportunity to advise eight amazing new students with three fellow co-advisors. The familial sense O-Week provides is a really unique and beautiful aspect of Rice culture and community.

Interests: ATHLETICS, RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP