Weaving a Community of Support with Danielle Arispe ’28

For Danielle Arispe ’28, Rice’s premedical pathways and welcoming community made it the perfect fit. Receiving a Rice Investment grant turned her top-choice school into an attainable reality. She summed it up simply: “None of this would be possible without Rice donors.”

“I can still remember the look on my mom's face when I told her about my financial aid package from Rice. The smile that overtook her brought me to tears,” Danielle Arispe ’28 (Sid Richardson) said. “It was such a relief knowing my undergraduate years would be free of financial stress.”

Danielle, a biosciences major, carries deep gratitude for the Rice donors whose support allows her to pursue a field she loves within a close-knit, inclusive community.

“My financial aid changes not only how I experience college but how I envision my future,” she said. “A contribution to The Rice Fund doesn’t just help students succeed in the present — it creates the conditions for long-term growth, stability and impact.”

When researching colleges, Danielle was drawn to Rice because of its robust academic opportunities, access to the Texas Medical Center and proximity to her hometown of Donna, Texas. Being able to visit her family during breaks — and enjoy her favorite meals like fideo or albondigas — meant a great deal to her.

The friendships she formed during O-Week and her life as a proud Sidizen have become the foundation of her “chosen family” at Rice. To give back, she has served as an advisor for both O-Week and Martel College, and she helped organize student wellbeing events with the Rice Health Advisors.

“Being an O-Week advisor reminded me how meaningful community can be when it’s built with intention and care,” she said. “Helping new students feel supported not only strengthened their transition to college life — it deepened my own connection to Rice and what it means to belong here.”

That commitment to peer support also shows up in the classroom. As a biology teaching assistant in the School of Natural Sciences, Danielle helps lead discussion groups, supports collaborative learning and evaluates student work, strengthening her own understanding of biosciences while helping classmates build confidence in a demanding gateway course.

“What makes Rice unique is how support is woven into the daily experience — from RAs to professors to campus resources,” she continued. “Rice gives you the space to question, change direction and discover new interests while still feeling anchored.”

Danielle’s own interests are leading her toward reproductive genetics and gene therapy research. She values the strong partnership between Rice’s Department of BioSciences and the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, which has opened doors to meaningful academic and research opportunities.

“Over the next few years, I hope to gain more hands-on research and clinical experience to better understand where I fit within this field,” she said.

After Rice, Danielle hopes to attend medical school to pursue a career in pediatric medicine.

“I know my path will center on caring for children and supporting families through compassionate, evidence-based medical care,” Danielle said. “This is only the beginning for me, and I cannot wait to see how life beyond the hedges will treat me.  Thank you to Rice donors for giving me this opportunity.”

Learn more about The Rice Fund, and the impact of your support, at giving.rice.edu/rice-fund.