You have somehow managed to win the Advisor lottery and have THE Joel Villarino as your O-Week Advisor. This senior is just as excited as you are to be at Rice this year, as his semester abroad in Scotland has left him missing campus dearly (and with new opinions about the English). Every day is a good day when Joel’s around, as he will either serenade you with a lovely guitar solo or yap your ear off about, well, pretty much anything. You might be scared at first that he smells bad, given that he’s from Sulphur Springs, Texas and that he’s a Computer Science + Statistics double major…but don’t worry, he showers regularly (with an expected value greater than once a week—trust). Joel is an amazing friend and mentor, and you are beyond lucky to have him as your Advisor.

- Mina Schepmann Jones ‘26; Brian Mercado, Sid Richardson ‘26

McKinley (“Mr. Garner”) is serious about his studies and is thus pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Breadth of Mechanical Engineering. The residential college that McKinley is a member of is Sid Richardson College (est. 1971). McKinley's primary residence outside of college is in the great city of Minneapolis—which is in the greater state of Minnesota! Minnesota is home to many large industries including but not limited to flour milling, mineral processing and extracting, beer, agricultural, health care, renewable energy, etcétera, etcétera. These diverse sets of industries are one of the many reasons Minnesota has the most fortune 500 companies per capita.

- Catherine Jamieson, Sid Richardson ‘28; Evan Davis, Sid Richardson ‘27

You’re not ready for Mahtab—but don’t worry, she’s ready for you. A double major in Social Policy Analysis and Political Science with minors in Neuroscience and Politics, Law, & Social Thought (say that five times fast), this Houston native from the Class of 2028 is a force of nature. She dances, sings (badly), enjoys the gym, travel, and sunset runs, and still finds time to debate you on anything from Zoroastrian theology to the best Trader Joe’s snack (it’s the chili & lime rolled tortilla chips, no contest). Mahtab’s calendar has more color-coding than a textbook diagram, but she’ll always make time to hype you up before your presentation or send a 3-paragraph text about your situationship (with citations). She's the founder of Project CARV, speaks at the UN on teen dating violence, and might just be President one day—but she’ll still trip over her own feet on the way to class and laugh about it with you like it’s the best moment of the week. Whether she’s plotting how to solve relationship violence or figuring out which blazer says “future lawyer, but fun,” Mahtab brings the energy, the heart, and the hustle. You’ve just met your new favorite overachiever.

- Emma Young, Duncan ‘28; Rachel Kimball, Duncan ‘28

Is Elizabeth Chen your O-Week Advisor? If so, our deepest condolences… JK, you just won the O-Week lottery! Coming in at a staggering height of barely 5 feet, this pre-law Sidizen pursuing a dual degree in Biosciences and Political Science has taken almost every class at Rice and has tried EVERY (and we mean EVERY) flavor of energy drink known to man. If you want to hang out with her, just rope her into taking a difficult class with you (very unwilling academic weapon) or text her during the wee hours of the day (she only falls asleep when the sun comes up). Lizzie is a native of Dallas, one of the flattest, most boring cities in the US, but her sense of humor is (sometimes) pretty sharp—your O-Week meals will turn into a stand-up comedy show every time (but always feel free to roast her as well, she can’t be the only one having fun). She loves basketball (and is a Mavs fan, unfortunately) to the point where she only ever pulls up to the function in basketball shorts (#prideprez). As a student organization pro, she's always in the know and will get you to all the best events on campus; and not only is she Houston's foremost matcha expert (with a tier list and everything), but she WILL fight you (and probably win) for the bill when you grab a meal together, no matter what. All in all, you're in luck for a great O-Week!

- Miroslav Minchev, Sid Richardson ‘27; Joyce Jiang, Sid Richardson ‘27; Ramon Fulgencio, Duncan ‘27

Meet Ryan Mattana, Will Rice junior Mechanical Engineering major. Trekking all the way from Geneva, Switzerland (but make sure to ask you where he’s from, he won’t give you a straight answer), Ryan is hard to miss. Ryan’s first language is French, so try not to make fun of his accent/grammar too much, and is an avid Black Coffee Drinker. When he’s not boxing at the Recreation Center with the Rice Boxing Club, or biking for the Will Rice Beer Bike Bike Team (WRWS), you can find Ryan at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, building airplanes for Rice Flight. Ryan’s one of Will Rice College’s Finest, and lives in the best room in all of Will Rice, Perch. Ryan is an easygoing, fun-loving, and all around great guy, and he’s incredibly excited to meet the New Students of Sid!

- Lola Cantillon, Sid Richardson ‘27