From the MEML SA President: The beginning is the most challenging part, but you will find your place!
Hello Incoming Fall 2025 MEML Students,
First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on being admitted to Rice University, one of the best universities in the country, and I want to welcome you on behalf of all the members of the Master of Engineering Management and Leadership Student Association (MEML-SA). I am currently the president of the master’s student association, and we are very excited to welcome a new cohort of students who want to grow professionally.
I want to tell you that the beginning is the most challenging part. Many of us are starting classes after having stopped studying for a while, and others are moving from another country or continent to come study in Houston. Adapting takes time, but you will find a lot of support, if you look for it, from your classmates, professors, and the different communities that exist on campus.
At Rice, you will find everything! From sports, art, entrepreneurship, research, and more. I recommend that you first determine your goals and what you want to learn. Explore the different specialties the MEML program offers, and you can even take more classes in other subjects that interest you. Especially in Houston, the healthcare, energy, and aerospace industries drive this beautiful city, and if you can take a class in something related, I highly recommend it. I’ll be taking Energy Economics next semester simply out of curiosity to learn more about the topic, since Houston is an energy hub.
The Master of Engineering Management and Leadership is housed in the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership, part of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing. RCEL will keep you very busy; the classes are challenging, and we have many seminars throughout the semester. There are always events happening at Rice, and I highly recommend finding a community you want to be a part of. We are very fortunate to have the support of RCEL to have MEML-SA. In this student group, you will find professional and social events, trips, dinners, and lots of networking.
Take advantage of your time here. Attend all the events you can and take advantage of all the opportunities that Rice and Houston have to offer—and believe me, there are many. My recommendations for support are the Center for Career Development (CCD) and the Career Fairs they host, Fondren Library, Doerr Institute for New Leaders, your professors, and, of course, the MEML-SA, who can help you connect and do everything possible to achieve your goals at Rice.
As new students, remember your priorities:
Attend classes and focus on school.
Grow your network. Don’t let a day go by without meeting someone new. The most interesting people I know are the ones I’ve met here.
Eat well and stay healthy.
Go to social and professional events.
Make the most of your time and have a great time!
At Rice, I’ve found a home and a circle of friends that are invaluable. MEML and the MEML-SA have undoubtedly helped me grow as a person, making me feel at home even though my house is miles away. Welcome and see you soon! Don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of MEML-SA. I’ll leave you our website in case you want to know more about us: https://www.memlsa-rice.org/
Alan Salceda
MEML-SA President
