As Rice University prepares to celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement May 9-10, Rice News is spotlighting a series of soon-to-be graduates.
For Nma Ejiawoko, the path to the front of the classroom has always been clear.
A master’s student in teaching at Rice’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Ejiawoko teaches geometry AAC at Northbrook High School in Spring Branch ISD while completing her graduate studies.
“The goal was always to teach,” she said. “Why not go straight into it, get that experience and hopefully fall in love with the other educational opportunities along the way?”
At Rice, Ejiawoko found a program that equips her with both the academic foundation and the real-world perspective she needs to thrive in education.
“If you want a teaching experience that’s going to prepare you for the real academic world, Rice really does that,” she said. “No matter what you’re going through, they’ve got you — especially in this department.”
Ejiawoko’s calling to teach runs deep. “School was always fun for me. My teachers were great,” she said. “But I also think it’s because my aunt was a teacher, and my first teacher ever — unofficially — was my sister. It runs in the family.”
Now, as a full-time educator and graduate student, Ejiawoko sees her academic career coming full circle.
“The journey to get here wasn’t easy,” she said. “But it’s one of those moments where you look around and think, ‘Wow. If you really speak things into existence, they happen.’”
To learn more about the Glasscock School’s Master of Arts in teaching program, visit continue.rice.edu/master-arts-