When I first came to Rice, I had no idea I’d find myself in such an amazing community like the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL). I first learned about RCEL during O-Week and, honestly, I was a little skeptical about how they could help someone like me - the most introverted of all - become a leader. But after walking into my first RCEL 100 class, I knew I was in the right place. And look at me now!
My name is Giovanna Veras, I’m a rising senior studying Electrical Engineering, and I have the honor of serving as the RCEL Student Director this academic year.
I'd love to share a few of my favorite things about RCEL:
- RCEL empowers you to be a leader. Early in the program, you’ll learn that leaders are made, not born. RCEL helps you become more self-aware, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and create a plan to grow your skills based on your own personality and traits.
- RCEL is more than just classes. You’ll meet an incredible community of students with similar goals who help each other grow. You can get involved with the Student Leadership Teams to build student engagement and shape the program for future generations of Rice engineers - all while putting your leadership skills into practice. We also host amazing events ranging from career development workshops to building a boat and testing it in the pool (Splashdown - my favorite RCEL event of all time!).
- RCEL gives you space to make mistakes. Like any other skill, leadership takes practice. In RCEL courses, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try new things through fun labs and role plays. All in a supportive environment where it’s safe to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. That way, when you take on leadership roles in clubs or other organizations, you’ll be prepared with the tools you need to succeed.
- Yes, you can fit the RCEL Certificate into your schedule! The courses are 1-2 credits, offered at convenient times, and very flexible. We have students who are double majors, students with multiple minors, students who came in with a ton of AP credits and some who had none (like me!).
All of this comes with the support of incredible (and I mean incredible) faculty and staff who get to know you personally and are always there when you need them.
On behalf of all of us at RCEL, welcome to Rice! You can learn more at rcelconnect.org, and I encourage you to email me (gv20@rice.edu) or reach out to any of the other student leaders listed on the RCEL website. I make it a priority to be accessible to fellow students and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Have an amazing freshman year and see you on campus!