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AADIT
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal
Interests: FOOD! FOOD! and FOOD! Also, Tennis, Economics, and Politics.
Fun fact: I haven't watched a single Marvel/DC movie yet.
Future goals: Working as a Developmental Economist and a Politician in Nepal.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: BE YOURSELF AND THE WORLD WILL ADJUST! There is a reason you all are here. Enjoy!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: I haven't been out much but like trying different cuisines now and then.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: McNair Hall, Fondren Library, and Duncan Computer Room
Anything else you wish to add? WELCOME to Rice! I can't wait to see you all grow at this wonderful institution.
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AKIF
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: Soccer, coding, physics, chess, traveling.
Fun fact: I have two telescopes back at home (and one radio-telescope that I built myself).
Future goals: Start my own tech company, learn new languages, and watch a lot of films.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Enjoy your time at Rice: from traveling the touristic attractions (museums,the zoo, parks etc.) nearby, trying different cousins at Rice Village, and camping in various state parks (I would strongly advise Inks Lake and Enchanted Rock at Austin) to taking various classes in different disciplines and attending a cornucopia of events, clubs, and organizations, be open to experience and discover more about yourself.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Trying different restaurants with my friends, going to concerts and Rockets matches.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: 4th floor of Fondren and my room.
Anything else you wish to add? Last piece of advice: Don't stress too much and don't be afraid of asking for help.
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ALYSSA
Hometown: Penang, Malaysia
Interests: Traveling, exploring new cafes, and making day-in-my-lifes on Tiktok!
Fun fact: I lived on an oil tanker when I was younger!
Future goals: Attending graduate school and hopefully researching in a biotech firm.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Attend as many events as possible in your freshman year - you will meet so many new people from all over the world. Most of all, never be afraid to ask for help, everyone here is so friendly!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Finding new cafes and food spots with my friends.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Brochstein Pavilion (coffee shop opposite the library), or if I need to really focus - Fondren Library.
Anything else you wish to add? Congratulations on getting into Rice! You 100% deserve it and I can't wait to meet all of you! Feel free to reach out at any time if you have any questions or just want to chat and get to know about Rice and how to adjust as an international student :-)
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ANWESHA
Hometown: Dubai, UAE
Interests: Dancing, Soccer, Hiking, Travelling.
Fun fact: I once got stuck in a pool of quicksand!
Future goals: I would like to be a strength and conditioning coach, preferably in the performing arts industry.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Take classes you never thought you would take, join clubs you've never heard of before, try out activities you've always wanted to try because you never know who or what it can lead you to!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Watch the Houston Ballet!
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Fondren Library.
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ASSANALI
Hometown: Kokshetau, Kazakhstan
Interests: I like playing ping pong, poker, volleyball, and pool.
Fun fact: I can solve Rubik's cube in 10 seconds.
Future goals: I want to work as a software engineer, be an entrepreneur, and travel around the world.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Explore your academic & personal interests and don't be afraid to change majors. Be open, meet new people, and have fun during UIO and O-week :)
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Eating with friends in Rice Village restaurants, walking in Hermann Park and Downtown Houston.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: 1st and 3rd floor Fondy.
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DOMINIK
Hometown: Osijek, Croatia
Interests: School and Track, but also, listening to music, watching F1 and playing pool.
Fun fact: I can solve the Rubik's cube under 20s.
Future goals: To become a Mechanical Engineer and hopefully a world class athlete.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Go for walks and try out all the amazing food.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: My room.
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DVIYA
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Interests: Reading, cooking, watching TV shows, and random arts (currently trying to learn how to crochet!)
Fun fact: I speak 4 (and a half and a half) languages and will start learning in the fall.
Future goals: To do translational research, to learn more languages and to cook different food from different cuisines.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: We're here to help; let us know if there's anything we can do to help you!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Walk around Hermann Park, Museum District and Rice Village + go to Hillcroft for Desi food.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Lovett Commons, outside Brochstein, and the benches by Duncan mailroom.
Anything else you wish to add? I'm super excited to meet y'all!
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EDWIN
Hometown: New Taipei City, Taiwan (Malaysian by citizenship)
Interests: Watching sunsets while listening to music (favorite artists as of now: Mafalda Veiga, Jacqueline du Pré, Laurent Voulzy, Jeanette, Nicole, Maurizio Pollini, to name a few), reading Jane Austen's books (just finished Persuasion, which is arguably better than Pride and Prejudice, and reading Emma now)
Fun fact: I have an identical twin (I'm likely not the guy in my photo)
Future goals: Have a stable job, a house, a car, a family, two daughters, and not die too soon.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: If you're an introvert, don't worry if you can't connect deeply with people at first. Friends will come naturally if you reach out to people. In my first year, it was hard for me to socialize because I'm super introverted, but eventually I met people who I clicked with. It is also perfectly fine to have some alone time if your social battery is drained out. Don't stress too much about making friends but make sure not to stay in your shell forever.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Trying out new restaurants, going to art museums, and watching sunsets (again)
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Outside Brochstein Pavilion for sunny days, somewhere deep in Fondy for rainy days (tip: Fondy 5th has its only clean bathrooms and a good water dispenser), O'Connor (5th floor has a terrace that is great for sunsets!)
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ELLA
Hometown: Marlow, England
Interests: I love swimming, travelling, reading and hanging out with friends!
Fun fact: I was born is Australia.
Future goals: I want to swim in the Olympics!
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Embrace new experiences and activities. It's a great way to meet new people! Everyone is super friendly and welcoming!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Swimming outdoors and trying new restaurants.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: McNair (the business building).
Anything else you wish to add? I am so excited to meet all the new international students!
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FRED
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Interests: I love everything aerospace and I've been heavily involved in that at Rice, green spaces & the outdoors always like the chance to go hiking/camping, reading stories around African fiction & Science fiction, and endlessly analyzing the stuff I watch.
Fun fact: My favorite travel experience in the US so far was taking the NE Amtrak corridor train from NYC last summer, the seaside sunset views are great.
Future goals: Be a full time R&D engineer, maybe get a PhD.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Be open to new experiences and know that you can always ask for help as you get started at Rice.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: The food here is really good, going thrifting and visiting the record store in Montrose as well.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: The new O'Connor building.
Anything else you wish to add? Looking forward to welcoming all the new internationals to Rice.
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GIOVANNA
Hometown: Brasília, Brazil
Interests: Swimming, watching tv shows, playing the guitar, and electronics.
Fun fact: I'm really good at foosball.
Future goals: Work as an electrical engineer and help build cool stuff.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Don't struggle alone. There are a lot of people, offices and resources at Rice you can reach out to. Everyone here is happy to help!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Go eat/ get boba with my friends at Rice Village.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: O'Connor and Fondy's 4th
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ISABELLE
Hometown: Manila, Philippines
Interests: Football/soccer, cooking, fashion, sports physiology and nutrition, EDM.
Fun fact: I might have visited almost every coffee shop in the vicinity of Rice.
Future goals: Practice medicine – we’ll see where in the world it takes me!
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Hang out in the common areas – the people you meet might end up being your best friends.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Finding coffee shops and restaurants, biking around the Rice area.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Brochstein when it’s warm and sunny, or Audrey’s with a cup of matcha.
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KATHY
Hometown: Shenzhen, China
Interests: Traveling and drifting, music, all kinds of dancing, sailing and hiking and whatever outdoors, arts and theatre, museums, watching series and movies, hanging out with friends.
Fun fact: I have sprained my left ankle eight times.
Future goals: Being a curator, meeting lovely people, traveling around the world.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Be open to everything. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Never be afraid to carve out your own way.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Hanging out with friends in an off-campus cafe and walking back in the sunset, or simply exploring new spots here and there.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Chaus, Audrey’s, Fondren Library.
Anything else you wish to add? Congratulations on getting here! Can’t wait to meet y’all. Let me know if you have any questions or simply want to chat :)
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NIKHIL
Hometown: Singapore & Hong Kong
Interests: Modifying cars, collecting watches and colognes, and doing backflips on skis!
Fun fact: I was an Infantry Sergeant in the Singapore Armed Forces for two years.
Future goals: Currently a Business (Finance) and Computer Science double major, hoping to work in quantitative finance before eventually becoming an entrepreneur.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Put yourself out there! Get involved with your residential college, and make as many friends as possible. Rice may not be a big school, but there are tons of amazing people to meet!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Trying out new restaurants and finding cute cafes to study at.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Tables outside Brochstein when the weather is nice :)
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NOTHANDO
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
Interests: Traveling (road-trips in particular), Adventurous activities, basically any event that requires me to dress up, watching corny comedy movies.
Fun fact: I have almost been bit by a snake and now I don't like farms.
Future goals: Making progressive strides in the genetics field.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: There will be a lot of activities lined up but please don't feel that they are all generic or not important. I urge you to try to attend and absorb as much as you can. All those meetings truly add to the Rice experience; it will be amazing, I can guarantee that :)
Favorite thing to do in Houston: There is always some type of festival happening because Houston is culturally diverse. I enjoy exploring these when I can. On a regular weekend, I like going out to different restaurants; there are some with really amazing themes.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Duncan mail room. It is very comfy!
Anything else you wish to add? I am so excited to welcome you all.
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PARNIKAA
Hometown: Manama, Bahrain
Interests: I like hanging out with friends, going to concerts/movies, music in general, watching cricket, binging shows, traveling and business.
Fun fact: I've lived and went to school in 5 countries!
Future goals: Travel the world and pursue a career in business/music. Be my own boss basically lol.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: This is your new home :) Be as involved with your college as you can & surround yourself with people who make you happy!
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Going to malls/watching movies; exploring different restaurants.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Dandelion Cafe!
Anything else you wish to add? I can't wait to meet all of you! Feel free to reach out to me anytime (and I mean anytime lol) during & after UIO if you have any questions, just want to talk, or want to hang :)
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TERESSA
Hometown: Jiangxi, China (But I lived in Shanghai for high school!)
Interests: Literature, writing, getting my nails done, traveling, taking care of flowers.
Fun fact: I have only eaten hamburgers 5 times before college.
Future goals: I want to work in the field of psychology research and probably statistics as well.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Don't feel stressed to socialize during o-week, just participate as much events as you want and enjoy everything. :)
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Little red train in Hermann Park & MFA.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Cute single seats on Fondy first floor OR Duncan OC lounge.
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YIN MIN
Hometown: Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)
Interests: (actual) football, crime-thriller movies, cooking, trying new food
Fun fact: I write with my paper completely sideways.
Future goals: Graduate school in Mathematics.
Advice to new students coming to Rice: Don't stress out about not finding your "best friend" during O-week. Just enjoy meeting new people.
Favorite thing to do in Houston: Biking around campus or Hermann Park, Shopping at H-Mart and 85°C Bakery.
Favorite spot to study on-campus: Fondren study booths.
Anything else you wish to add? Welcome to Rice! We are here to help smoothen your transition during and beyond UIO.
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