What inspires you to remain so engaged with Rice?
I think right out of Rice, my reason to remain engaged was FUN. I had such an amazing Rice experience and I wanted to keep the fun train moving and so going back to the source was obvious. Now 14 years out (eek!) I see my Rice experience as such a fundamental building block of who I've become as a person — the people I met, the activities I was involved in, the classes I took, everything had and continues to have an impact on my life.
How have you evolved in your Rice journey since receiving the award?
Receiving the award was such a humbling experience. To me I was just being part of something I loved and wanted to share that love with others. I continue to share that love any opportunity I can. I do think that volunteering with Rice Alumni honed in on some of my leadership skills and communication skills that I use today as an entrepreneur. See right there Rice continuing to educate even after you're gone.
Melissa’s advice:
Stay connected no matter how small your involvement or connection is — remain connected. My alumni path has gone from super involved (50% of free time engaged in Rice Alumni activities), to currently only having to time to work on Rice Magazine, continue my financial contributions, and making it a point to walk the loop every couple months. Even though it might not seem much, those little things always give me a little jolt of Rice air in my lungs.
What’s next for you?
I don't have anything specifically planned, but I am always open to engaging with the Rice Alumni body. I mean, it is fun, so why not?