As Rice University prepares to celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement May 9-10, Rice News is spotlighting a collection of standout graduates.
Thara Venkateswaran said she didn’t grow up envisioning herself in uniform, but she found her niche in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as a neuroscience and cognitive sciences major at Rice. Through persistence and determination, she earned a prestigious scholarship and a future as a naval officer.
Now a first class midshipman, she will attend division officer school after graduation before reporting to her first ship in Japan. Raised with a deep appreciation for veterans, Venkateswaran has taken on leadership roles, traveled the world and received training aboard aircraft carriers and submarines. She credits Rice’s ROTC program with opening these doors for her.
“I have a cool job coming up out of college,” she said. “I’ve met amazing people.”
Video and photo by Brandon Martin/Rice University.