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Hi, I'm Madison!

I am a junior at Martel studying Operations Research, Psychology, and Cognitive Science with a minor in Data Science. I’m originally from DFW in Texas (specifically Aledo, if you know the area). I’m excited to work with you as Student Association President, to keep the SA running efficiently and making a difference for everyone in the Rice Undergraduate Community! I hope this page gives you a more personal view into who I am, why I’m a uniquely good fit for the role, and a peek into how I spend my time. 

So...why am I running?

First, what even is the Student Association? In short, it is Rice’s campus-wide student government. We unite the college governments, liaison with administration and faculty, pursue projects to improve campus, and host events! EVERYONE is part of the Student Association, even if you don’t hold a formal title - that’s why you get to help vote for its leadership :) 

 

The role of the President is amorphous, but also what you might expect (and full of meetings). The primary purpose of the President is to keep the SA functioning smoothly and effectively, so the organization can empower others in pursuing their advocacy. Additionally, the role of President is about representing and advocating for the whole of the student body to administration and beyond the hedges (even if broader student opinion isn't in line with their personal convictions). Advocacy is about relationships; lasting change occurs through conversations with people: both developing student leaders and understanding administration’s limitations.

 

The SA President directly oversees both the rest of the Executive Team and some members of the Executive Council.

  • Executive Team: IVP, EVP, Secretary, Treasurer

  • Executive Council positions overseen by the President: Association of Rice Alumni Liaison, Chief of Staff, Director of Intimate Partner Violence, Director of Equity, Parliamentarian

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A successful SA President is:

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Focused on empowering others

Organized and has good time management

Flexible and highly communicative

Sociable, friendly, approachable, and encouraging

Reliable, accountable and consistent

Willing to act, not just talk about it

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Read on to see how my past and present experiences have uniquely prepared me to be an effective and impactful SA President

Experience

In the SA:

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As the current Internal Vice President, I am intentional about the experience of the cohorts I oversee. In total, I am responsible for over 90 students, which is ~2/3 of those who currently hold a title in the SA

 

Standing Committees

  • Recruited, trained, and currently oversee the 9 Student Association Standing Committees: Academics, Athletics, Beyond the Hedges, Diversity and Inclusion, Environmental, Student Life, Student Health Services, Students with Disabilities, and Wellbeing

  • Increased visibility of committees both within the Student Association and across campus to enable involvement from the broader campus community

  • Divided “co-chair” roles into “chair” and “vice chair”, which dramatically increased committees' communication efficiency and effectiveness

  • Built out committees Google Drive and guide for the committee chair role, including best practices, sample templates, timelines, and expectations to ensure committees were equipped for success

  • Establish monthly 1 on 1s and group meetings between the IVP and committee chairs to balance accountability and autonomy

  • Set future committees up for success by ensuring chairs have access to old committee folders

  • Encourage chairs to create a list of project ideas and projects that have been started in the past, so next year's committees (and NSRs) can focus on solutions rather than brainstorming problems

 

New Student Representatives (NSRs)

  • Executed NSR retreat in-person following COVID protocols. Topics included an introduction to the Student Association, mentorship, pursuing projects, legislation writing, and practice Senate so NSRs could bond, felt prepared, and could effectively engage their role

  • Added structure to NSR mentorship: met with NSRs 1 on 1, hosted monthly NSR Dinners, facilitated weekly meetings for NSRs with their college president and senator, and 1 on 1s between the NSR and their committee chair to increase their exposure across the organization

  • Streamlined the NSR Ambassador program, during which NSRs “lived the life” of another NSR for a week, in order to gain an understanding of what life is like at other colleges to increase empathy and develop cross-campus relationships

  • Supported NSRs with their projects and advocacy, some of which you can see here! NSRs have also been responsible for driving the majority of legislation this year, which is a reflection on their initiative and the effectiveness of the training and mentorship they received

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As the 2020-2021 Co-Chair of the Academics Committee, I pursued projects and gained experience with best practices for advocacy. Some of those are described below:

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  • Assess the impact of COVID-19 on academic accommodations and support systems (including the Academic Fellows)

  • Gathering feedback on the creation of a centralized tutoring center

  • Recommending improvements to current course catalog and teacher evaluations

  • Laying the groundwork for creating a “research board” to increase awareness of and expand access to research opportunities

  • Creating a centralized “master list” of resources and opportunities at Rice

  • Collaborating with the Graduate Student Association to advocate for increased undergraduate involvement in the faculty hiring process

  • Provided feedback on potential changes to general education requirements

  • And many more areas of advocacy!

 

As part of my roles, I have had conversations with: President Leebron, Provost DeRoches, and administrators and staff in the Office of Academic Advising, the Wellbeing Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, the Center for Career Development, members of the Faculty Senate, and many more.

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Beyond the SA:
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  • Student Director of the Peer Career Advisor (PCA) Program with the Center for Career Development (CCD)

    • I advocate for the career center and increasing access to career resources across campus. Because we all ultimately want to get a job someday, it is important to start preparing as soon as possible. As Student Director, I oversee the PCA program at all 11 colleges, organize and host training events, and produce content to help students learn to articulate their Rice experiences to get a job. I also meet one on one with students at Martel (and beyond) to talk about their resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and overall career interests! Feel free to reach out if you would like help with your resume etc as well! I’m happy to talk about things outside of the Student Association too :) 

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  • Vice President of Consulting at 180 Degrees Consulting

    • On my first project with this club at Rice, I was placed in charge of a team that included MBAs, PhDs, and Undergrads and acting as a liaison with the client. I learned how to work with people from a variety of backgrounds, as well as represent the organization and articulate my team’s questions well to external stakeholders. I was then elected to be on the Executive team in the role of Vice President of Consulting, where I managed 5 consulting teams and oversaw team member training over the course of last semester. I significantly streamlined processes and engaged in troubleshooting to ensure the teams ran smoothly.

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  • Doerr CoachRICE Training Program with the Doerr Institute for New Leaders

    • I have participated in both Activation and numerous Catalyst programs with the Doerr Institute which have helped me hone my self-awareness and leadership abilities in the areas of decision-making, mastering adaptability, delegating effectively, and influencing outcomes. This year, I am part of the CoachRICE cohort, where I am also developing skills and training towards becoming an International Coaching Federation certified coach so that I can better empower others in their leadership. I am excited to apply the things I am learning to the role as President of the Student Association.​

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  • Project Management Team Lead at AllPeople

    • ​When I joined a startup the summer after we were sent home due to COVID, I discovered there was a lack of organization or accountability measures, so very little got done. Not content with sitting back and doing nothing, I ideated and implemented means to reshape the company’s internal organization. I assigned interns to teams, designated team leads, and instituted structure, then I recruited, interviewed, and trained about 50 interns from universities across the country to grow the organization. The people management skills I gained perfectly translate to the President role!
       

Get to know me better!

A closer view into my life and what makes me happy :)

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How I spend my time

  • My quarantine hobby has been making smoothies--strawberry-raspberry-banana-vanilla is my favorite!

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  • How I stay active:

    • Zumba! (Zoomba lately... AKA dancing around in my room)

    • Going on LOOONNGGG walks (my record is 19.2 miles in a day!) while talking with friends to stay socially connected and *sane*

    • Intramural volleyball (pre-COVID)-- Martel might not have won any games last semester, but we’re coming for you!

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  • Zoom/Just Dance parties with my friends and the girls from Cru!

  • Babysitting & making no-bake cookie dough 

  • Fun fact: I have a hammock in my room that makes me feel cool :)

Favorite things

  • Food: besides smoothies, I love Tex-Mex (I may or may not have an addiction to Chipotle), cookie dough ice cream, and guacamole (my great-grandfather's recipe with cream cheese is a must-try)!​

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  • What I get at Chaus: Chai freeze or green tea freeze with coconut milk (or a smoothie!)

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  • Music: I'm always down to sing along with songs that help me connect with my faith, throwbacks, and bops that make me dance like an idiot in my room (see Classic by MKTO). I've included a few of my favorites in this Spotify playlist!

  • TV: ​Brooklyn 99, Castle, Blacklist, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, Bones, The Mentalist, Psych, Monk, White Collar, Leverage, Parks and Recreation, Chuck, Marvel's Agents of Shield, basically all Disney sitcoms

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  • I love listening to podcasts, or more accurately, just this one (if you want to get me on a 5-hr tangent, just mention “empire vs shalom”)

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