Q: How long have you worked at Rice?
A: Since the week of President DesRoches’ inauguration, so roughly 3.5 years.
Q: What is your favorite part about working for the university?
A: All the unique stories I get to tell, the beauty of campus, the “homelike” feeling Rice gives, countless memories around every corner and the friends I’ve made along the way.
Q: What do you want people to know about living in Houston?
A: Being from Houston, I’ve come to terms with telling visitors, “Houston is a great place to live, not so much to visit.” This particularly comes up when people from out of town ask me what to do while they’re here. You can establish great routines here and thrive in many aspects of your life. You do have the opportunity to experience a variety of cultures through festivals, events and cuisine. Although it’s not as scenic as other cities, I’ve found beauty throughout the area.
Q: What do you do in your downtime?
A: I never really have “downtime.” I prefer staying active, whether it’s training for my next competition, creating art, biking, hiking, climbing, weightlifting, running, yoga-ing, etc. I do enjoy watching a film from time to time, a nice restaurant, reviewing them both and maybe top it off with a long walk on the beach.
Q: What’s the most exciting time of year for you as it relates to Rice?
A: Every season has so much going on, but maybe late September to early November or the start of the spring semester. I enjoy those times because there are so many events on campus, and you get to see the campus come to life as everyone takes advantage of the nice weather.
Q: What’s the one thing that makes Rice special to you?
A: It’s got to be the people. There are many beautiful spots on campus, and I have many routes ingrained into my mind that bring some form of nostalgia as I go by, but none of the experiences I’ve had could have the potential of being nearly as memorable without the students, staff and faculty that have influenced those moments. Even with just 3.5 years here, I can guarantee that I have more than enough heartfelt, hilarious and meaningful memories to fill a book.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: The privilege of meeting outstanding people and telling their unique stories. I previously worked for Public Affairs, which granted me the opportunity to meet the people who make Rice “happen.” I was also privileged to experience a variety of cool events on and off campus as well as abroad.
In my current role, I love the trust my team puts in me to tell all the wonderful stories of Natural Sciences. I truly feel like I can follow my interests in each subject’s stories, and it has made for a beautiful working opportunity I wouldn’t have guessed to be possible. There are so many passionate people on campus with unique stories, and I’m blessed to listen to and share them.
Q: What are your most memorable accomplishments?
A: When I got back into running, my immediate goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. On my first marathon in 2022, I ran just 3 minutes above the qualifying time due to twin scars on my feet that needed some attention midrace. I looked down and my blue shoes had turned red. Three months later, I chose to run the hilly Vancouver Marathon and hit my personal record by roughly 10 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon.
The 2023 Boston Marathon was a beautiful experience and since then, I’ve run 11 marathons, countless half-marathons, 10ks, 5ks and other unique races, including an obstacle course race in Vermont in the side of a ski resort.
I tell people that running is more of a necessity in my life than an extracurricular. Since early on, it has provided me with something challenging to focus on, but it has also brought a community with the type of “iron sharpens iron” mentality that I find myself craving.
In my creative work, I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the world, experience numerous things I wouldn’t have dreamed of and, most importantly, develop friendships. One favorite story of mine to tell is that I went to Tokyo Fashion Week in 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 shutdown, never having met anyone I was going to work with until the moment I landed there. It was a beautiful experience.
Since I was a child, I’ve truly enjoyed the countless experiences I’ve been blessed to have. I love stories, people and the idea of living life to the fullest, which is why “downtime” is a hard concept to digest for me sometimes.
From meeting locals on my marathon journeys who show me around their hometown to capturing beautiful moments on film, I truly enjoy it all because every place, every person and every mile holds a story worth remembering.
Q: What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
A: Similarly to what I said about “downtime,” I love to explore new restaurants, national parks and films, but my must-do routine is incorporating some sort of daily exercise. In this season, it’s training for the London Marathon and the Texas Independence Relays with the Night Heron Running Club.
Q: What advice would you give to new employees?
A: Familiarize yourself with the campus and figure out a routine that works best for you. Rice is a world of its own. It’s easy to get caught up in the vastness.
Q: What’s your favorite lunch spot or snack?
A: Without a doubt, Local Foods. The crew there knows me as “Goose.”
Q: What’s your secret talent?
A: I tend to dive deep into subjects when they capture my attention. Maybe it’s hyper-focus during a season of curiosity, maybe it’s my approach to storytelling and creative problem-solving or maybe it’s my habit of Photoshopping what reality doesn’t quite allow for. Honestly, I think the real answer is resilience.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
A: Be patient with yourself, but give yourself a fighting chance in the areas you deem worthy of prioritizing. One of those areas should be people, because the stories in this world are composed primarily of how you relate with others — whether as friends, family members or passersby in an anecdote of your life. Also, no matter what, move forward — with a smile. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation, and you’ll never truly know when that opportunity comes knocking at your door.
Q: If you could be Sammy The Owl for a day, what would you do?
A: I’ve been Sammy for a day (or three). I lived the dream and became Sammy for a few social posts and for Rice Magazine during fall 2023.
Q: Where do you see Rice in 25 years?
A: Bigger impact, more discoveries, same squirrels. Hopefully less construction fences, more greenery and still offering that same homelike feeling we all get when we talk about campus.
Q: What’s your favorite memory from your time with Rice?
A: There are too many to count. From DJ-ing at KTRU amongst friends to flying abroad with the Owls, running the all-comers meet on the blue Rice track to highlighting graduating seniors and filming their stories, there are so many highlights from working here — don’t make me pick my favorite child!
Q: Describe Rice in four words or less.
A: Beautiful campus, brilliant minds.