What inspires you to remain so engaged with Rice?
I am continually amazed at the things that Rice students and alumni accomplish both inside and outside the hedges. Being an associate and former RA at Brown College and getting to know the students there has been a wonderful part of my life. It’s also fun to watch those students graduate and then go on to do great things in the world. So when you ask me what inspires me to stay engaged, it’s definitely the students who are the most inspiring. They care about each other and about how to make the world a better place. Unsurprisingly, it has been difficult to stay engaged at Brown during the pandemic, but I look forward to the time when I can once again spend time on campus.
How have you evolved in your Rice journey since receiving the award?
My husband and I were RAs at Brown when I received the award in 2011. We had a son that same year and then a daughter a few years later. We have enjoyed integrating our kids into our Rice experience and making them a part of the Brown College family. Since I am (by far!) no longer a young alumna, I have transitioned my efforts from young alumni activities to concentrate more on Brown. My husband and I host or co-host an O-Week group every year. I try to make it to most O-Week lunches throughout the academic year so that I can form relationships with those new students. It’s wonderful to hear how their weeks have been and share in their triumphs and also to catch up with students from my past O-Week groups.
I’ve also been lucky to be able to maintain a connection to Rice through my career. Formerly, I worked as assistant editor in the Office of Public Affairs, a position where one of my duties was to collect and edit alumni class notes for Owlmanac. I treasured that job and the connections I made to alumni and Rice staff and faculty through it. Even though I left that position in late 2015, I have continued to do freelance work for Public Affairs. I proofread Rice Magazine and have occasionally written articles for the magazine. It’s a wonderful way to keep in touch with what is happening on campus.
Jenny’s advice:
Get involved in your local alumni group! When my husband and I lived near Cambridge, England, from 2005-2007, we made an effort to attend the London alumni events and always loved meeting new people there. After we returned to Houston in 2007, we got involved with some of the numerous alumni activities here, such as book club.
It seems like wherever we go, Rice connections are there. I’ve met Rice alumni in museums and doctor’s offices when we recognize the iconic ring. My husband and I met two Rice professors when we took a punt tour on the River Cam in Cambridge. An employee at our hotel in Hawaii had a parent who was a Rice alum. It’s fun to find those connections. So keep an eye out for Rice folks wherever you go, and get to know interesting people in faraway places!
What’s next for you?
Hopefully, when life gets back to some form of “normal” after this past year, I hope to reconnect with the students at Brown College. I look forward to going to lunches in the Commons again and learning what extraordinary plans this next generation of Rice students have in store.