When she relocated to the Bay Area, Veronica Saron ’14 jumped into a high octane work environment. She quickly realized that Rice alumni events and volunteer opportunities were a great way to take a step back and keep all of her priorities in focus. “One of the strengths of Rice is that we have a very strong community, which is invaluable when you live in a big city with a frenetic pace,” Saron shared. “When I connect with this community, I am reminded of why Rice is so very special.”
Saron has volunteered for Rice Annual Fund campaigns and has supported the Annual Fund through social media posts. But she has also volunteered in a more personal way. As the pandemic settled over the country, Saron realized the extraordinary challenges facing graduating seniors in 2020. In response, she created a guide to help graduates in their career search — a project she has shared with the Center for Career Development. “I reached out to colleagues and asked them what kinds of resources would be most helpful to someone who wants to be a marketer, or a data scientist or to work in tech,” Saron explained. “The guide isn’t perfect, but it does have a comprehensive strategy to deal with the situation in the world right now. It teaches people to use the tools that are already out there.”
I have found that some of my happiest times are when I’ve attended a Rice event or worked on a Rice volunteer projects. Everyone comes to the table with good intentions — ready to share and learn — and that’s something I want to be a part of.
If you are interested in volunteering in your region, please visit our volunteer opportunities page to read more and sign up.