An undergraduate degree from Rice University’s School of Social Sciences sets students up for professional versatility in their careers. Offering 13 distinct majors across seven departments, the School equips students with valuable critical thinking skills necessary to excel in almost any field. Today, alumni are making their mark across industries, demonstrating the value of a Rice Social Sciences degree.
The "Owls Just Out" series features stories from Social Sciences alumni who graduated within the past few years. Read on to learn about two alumni who shared how their majors prepared them for career paths in global affairs and advising.
Luisa Tolda '25
Major: Political Science
Current Program: Master of Global Affairs, Rice University
Brazil native Luisa Tolda '25 first came to the United States as a freshman at Rice who already knew she would declare a major in political science.
“Growing up, my schools encouraged us to be a change wherever we are, and I felt like political science made a lot of sense as a way to do that on an international scale,” said Tolda.
The political science major instilled confidence in Tolda, helping her to believe that she could make a career for herself in global politics. In particular, the course Gender and Politics opened her eyes to representation in politics.
“I always kind of felt like politics were so far away from me,” said Tolda, “and that class really changed my mind. Maybe it isn't so out of reach, and maybe I can actually make a change.”
The most practical skill Tolda gained from her experience as a political science student was learning about data science tools, such as R. These courses fulfilled a statistics requirement for the political science major.
“Having that really technical skill of being able to code has made several projects a lot easier, or even just day-to-day things,” said Tolda.
Tolda also credits the faculty for encouraging her to think through her writing and defend her opinions, even if they differed from those of her professors and peers.
Another meaningful experience for Tolda – who also minored in Latin American and Latinx studies – was participating in the Center for Civic Leadership’s Leadership Rice Mentorship Experience (LRME) program. Through LRME, she worked as a policy advisor for the Harris County Judge’s Office. The experience complemented what she was learning in her political science courses and provided her with additional research and communication skills.
Currently, Tolda is enrolled in Rice’s Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program and is on track to graduate in 2027. The political science major’s focus on writing, research, and international politics greatly prepared her for the MGA program.
“As an MGA student, I’m learning a lot about the international system,” said Tolda, “and the political science major delved deeply into global politics, so I feel like I came into the program with a solid foundation.”
After Tolda graduates she hopes to pursue a private sector career in the U.S. that is connected to government.
“I'm so blessed to be here,” said Tolda, “and now that I have that opportunity to stay here for work, that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Elisabeth Torres-Schulte '24
Major: Cognitive Sciences
Current Occupation: Senior Research Specialist, transitioning to an analyst role, at Gartner
Elisabeth Torres-Schulte '24 started out as an electrical engineering major with a focus on neuroengineering. Although she was fascinated by the neurological aspect of her studies, by fall of her sophomore year, she decided to switch gears.
“I was looking for classes to fulfill some distribution credits when I first encountered cognitive sciences at Rice,” said Torres-Schulte.
The interdisciplinarity of the cognitive sciences major appealed to Torres-Schulte, who noted that it helped her realize that incorporating multiple perspectives into her work could be a valuable skill.
While in school, Torres-Schulte had an internship at Gartner, a research and advisory firm. After graduation, she was offered a researcher position at the company, serving on a tech-centered team as an AI specialist. In her latest move at Gartner, Torres-Schulte is transitioning to an analyst position that entails advising CEOs of small to mid-sized B2B tech companies.
“There is so much potential to grow at this company, especially with my foundation in cognitive sciences from Rice,” said Torres-Schulte. “I'm doing work within a year and a half that I wouldn’t have thought possible until four, five, even six years down the line.”
In terms of how she uses her degree, Torres-Schulte noted that the human computer interaction and human factors classes she took have helped tremendously with honing her AI expertise.
“The major also helped me explore different ways of understanding the mind, through taking computational and neuroscience classes, as well as humanistic classes in psychology, linguistics, and philosophy,” said Torres-Schulte. “I marry all these approaches constantly at my job.”
If she could talk to her freshman-year self, Torres-Schulte thinks she would be shocked.
“If freshman-year me could see current me, she'd be thinking, ‘Wow, you didn’t do anything we planned!'” said Torres-Schulte. “But if freshman-year me could see the work I've done and how much I've been able to learn, as well as see all the interesting people I've met and the conferences I've attended, I think she'd be pleased.”
Torres-Schulte hopes to continue to grow and evolve in her career, making as many connections with people as possible.
“Before cognitive sciences, I thought that the way I approached problems was a liability, and it was something that I had to constantly work against in order stand out because I wasn't focused enough or good enough at one thing,” said Torres-Schulte. “Everything I learned in my major really helped me to realize that my strength is my ability to look at something from multiple perspectives and combine them to create something highly useful.”
To learn more about the different departments and majors in Rice’s School of Social Sciences, visit socialsciences.rice.edu/departments.