What inspires you to remain so engaged with Rice?
As an undergraduate, I had alumni such as Terrence Gee ’86 support and encourage me to pursue a career in consulting and show me how to give back to the local community by joined in our efforts with the Rice Centennial House project for Habitat for Humanity. Inspired by their example, I strive to give back to Rice through my roles as a board member at the Center for Career Development, an associate at McMurtry, and as the alumni representative of the Faculty Senate Committee on Teaching. Every one of those roles has given me the opportunity to pay it forward and support the next generation of Rice student leaders as they aim to make the world a better place.
How have you grown/changed in your Rice journey since receiving the award?
Receiving the Sallyport Award has driven me to reach out to others in the Rice community and explore new communities beyond those I was a part of as a student. Throughout my travels as a consultant, I worked with the alumni office to identify groups of Rice alumni in the towns I worked in and invited those alumni to gather and reminisce about our time at Rice and hear stories about their journeys beyond the hedges. An example of this was during my time in Taipei, where I invited a group of alumni to a picnic on a Saturday and gained a set of friends throughout my stint working in the city. Another example was a flight to Frankfurt. The lead flight attendant introduced himself to me as a Rice Alum when he saw my Rice ring.
Tawfik’s advice:
Reach out to others in your community and beyond. Find those who have the careers, experiences and perspectives that you are looking to learn more about. I’ve found that the vast majority of Rice alumni I’ve reached out to have been more than willing to connect with. I have so many stories to share about Rice Alumni’s impact in my life. During COVID-19 I reconnected with one of my old Rice friends Julius White III ’15 who set me up with a great personal training program to give me a healthy outlet throughout the pandemic. I also set up FaceTime and Zoom with my friends and professors at Rice such as Raj Salholtra ’13, Steve Lewis, and Gabe Baker ’14.
Also important is giving back to students. I’ve hosted quite a few externships and spoke at several alumni events where I was able to provide guidance to the next generation of leaders and also encouragement to students who were seeking direction for their future.
What’s next for you?
I’d like to continue to do more events with the Office of Alumni Relations and with some of the schools to help students understand the consulting industry. In addition, I want to change the perception of consulting and what you can accomplish in a consulting career. Successful consultants leave a transformative impact on businesses, economies, and our everyday lives with the ability to benefit all humanity.