Giving Students Room to Grow

Long before she arrived on campus, Houston native Olutobi Adeyeri ’28 (Brown) knew Rice was the right fit. The question was whether it would be within reach financially.

“Rice was always my top-choice school, but my financial aid package was everything my family needed and more,” she says. “My Rice Investment scholarship has really been such a blessing to us.”

Olutobi was drawn to Rice’s interdisciplinary approach and the flexibility to explore a wide range of interests, which resonated with her natural curiosity.

“Rice is the kind of school that allows me to grow and change as my interests change,” she says. “I was really attracted to the opportunities to take courses outside my major.”

One interest has remained constant since elementary school: her passion for computer science and coding. The more she explored the field, the more she recognized computer science as a powerful tool for addressing real-world problems. Her decision to double major in computer science and social policy analysis reflects her desire to leverage technology for social impact.

“I like to think of myself as a creative person with a big imagination, and coding is a way for me to create something that didn’t exist before,” she says. “It’s challenging but in a satisfying way.”

She credits Rice with giving her opportunities to translate her big ideas into actionable plans. One such experience was helping to coordinate the remote version of Moody Civic Immersion last summer. This student-led program for first-year undergraduates introduces them to the Rice community, helps them build relationships before coming on campus, and explores social issues affecting Houston and how to make an impact in the community through their studies at Rice.

“I had to learn a lot about logistics, planning and creating an environment where people felt like they were included, even in a remote setting,” she said. “It was an amazing experience, and I grew so much.”

With the encouragement and support of faculty mentors, Olutobi has realized another goal at Rice: to design and teach her own class. After serving as a TA in two introductory computer science courses, she is venturing on her own to teach an evening course titled “Stories of Resistance,” studying books and media that have shaped social movements and activism.

“Teaching a class that you create rather than a class that someone else created is pretty different,” she says. “In many ways it’s harder, and in others it’s easier. I enjoy the freedom to construct the narrative of the course and decide where we’re going.”

Olutobi is grateful to the donors who have made her Rice journey a possibility.

“Thank you for caring about my education and my access to opportunities,” she says. “Financial aid gives me the flexibility to focus on exploration and growth. I appreciate the implicit trust you placed in me to use my time at Rice wisely.”