Meet the 2017-2018 Rice Student Association officers

The new Student Association (SA) officers who were elected in the spring participated in a Q&A to help the Rice community get better acquainted with them. Their responses appear below. Editor’s note: Profiles of the Graduate Student Association officers will be featured in an upcoming Rice News.

JUSTIN ONWENU

Name: Justin Onwenu.
Office: President.
Class: 2018.
College: Sid Richardson.
Major: International health and policy.
Hometown: Detroit.
Why I came to Rice: I was attracted to Rice’s size, residential college system, research opportunities and to the student body, who seemed to be not only extremely smart but also resourceful, creative and passionate. Rice is a university where people come together from completely different backgrounds and life experiences to shape the future by solving the toughest problems in a loving and collaborative fashion. I noticed this melting pot of collaboration and acceptance when I visited campus and immediately decided to apply.
Why I joined the SA: When I came to Rice it was clear that students, professors and administrators all believe that Rice is best when we’re all collaborating. Student government at other universities has an adversarial tinge but at Rice the SA seemed to work tirelessly to engage students and administrators to improve Rice in a caring and collaborative fashion. As a freshman I decided to join because I knew that this was the best avenue to turn seemingly crazy ideas into tangible change. I decided to take on my role this year because I’d like to see this collaborative approach expanded to other arenas: developing closer relationships with the Houston community, creating student-professor-administrative academic department advisory boards and engaging students through the V2C2 strategic planning initiative.

SARA MEADOW

Name: Sara Meadow.
Office: Internal vice president.
Class: 2019.
College: Sid Richardson.
Major: Political science and policy studies.
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
Why I came to Rice: Rice is fantastic in so many ways, but its people and strong sense of community are what really set it apart for me. During my senior year in high school, I was considering coming to Rice for all of its academic, service and extracurricular opportunities, but it was visiting the campus, speaking to students and seeing the communities of the residential colleges in action that really sold me.
Why I joined the SA: I felt at home right away at Rice, so I joined the SA since I knew that I’d want to give back to the Rice community during my time here. What I didn’t realize when I first joined the SA is how much potential there is for students to make change through this organization. With the SA, I’ve been able to work on projects that make a real impact on campus and help improve the Rice experience. The SA can be a real avenue of change for Rice students, and I love that my current role lets me help other students get involved with the SA!

REVATHI RAVELLA

Name: Revathi Ravella.
Office: External vice president.
Class: 2019.
College: Wiess.
Major: Biochemistry and cell biology.
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Why I came to Rice: I fell in love with Rice when I visited on Admit Day. I felt a strong sense of community and immediately noticed the amount of support that students showed one another. I especially loved that students were able to shape their own Rice experience. I learned that students had endless opportunities to pursue their individual passions while also making an impact at their colleges and campuswide.
Why I joined SA: Rice has an incredible student government system that fosters collaboration among students both at the college level and campuswide through the SA. Because of this, Rice students have a unique opportunity to become involved and truly shape their surroundings. Through the SA, I am able to collaborate with students and administration to make the Rice experience as great as possible for other students and myself. I love working with my peers in the SA and at the colleges to make the changes students desire, and I hope to continue building upon the strong community and culture we have at Rice.

DEEPU KARRI

Name: Deepu Karri.
Office: Secretary.
Class: 2020.
College: Sid Richardson.
Major: Kinesiology.
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Why I came to Rice: I visited Rice as a prospective student and fell in love with the serene campus in the backdrop of a city as busy as Houston. From the eclectic offerings of the Arts District to the completely amazing Texas Medical Center, Rice’s vantage point from downtown Houston was a big plus for me. On top of that, I really appreciated how driven the students at Rice are to push for a better future.
Why I joined SA: I joined the SA because I came to Rice wanting to stay involved with the campus as a whole. Being on the executive team allows me to understand the nitty-gritty of the problems and accomplishments this university sees on a daily basis.

AMEESH SHAH

Name: Ameesh Shah.
Office: Treasurer.
Class: 2019.
Hometown: Cleveland.
Major: Computer science.
College: Jones
Why I came to Rice: When I was a freshman in high school, a graduating senior who I looked up to ended up attending Rice. He introduced me to the school and all it had to offer, and I fell in love right away. The togetherness and passion each student brings to campus every day energizes me and makes me feel lucky to attend Rice.
Why I joined the SA: When I visited Rice, I had the opportunity to sit in on an SA Senate meeting, and I was floored by the discussions they were having and the impact they were able to make. I knew then that no matter where I ended up going to school, I wanted to make a similar impact on my community. It was an easy decision to get involved during my freshman year upon coming to Rice.