Unconventional Students at Rice 2019: Munachi Uzodike’s curiosity led to unexpected opportunities

The people at Rice inspired Munachi Uzodike to become more confident and curious. “The intelligent professors have pushed me to truly be the best person I can be and expand my knowledge across several disciplines,” she said.

An assignment for her history class, Uzodike assumed the persona of an abolitionist and wrote a song to inspire other abolitionists to abolish the slave trade. Her professor encouraged and helped her to copywrite the song. “I think it’s a testament to the types of things you can do at Rice,” she said. “It has everything to do with the opportunities available and the empathy and kindness of a professor to push me to do something like that.”

A pre-med kinesiology major and pursuing a minor in African studies, Uzodike believes her unconventional course load will shape her career in the long-term. “I care about people,” she said. “I care about planning and not just curing one person, but impact an entire community. Rice is this incredible place where you get to do a lot of different things and not necessarily take a narrow path.”