Being a PAA is a privilege shared and enjoyed by many students on campus. Each of them came into the program with a unique set of expectations and has gained something specific from their experiences. Reflecting on why they applied to the PAA program, here’s what some current PAAs had to say.
“I applied to be a PAA because I wanted to be able to help other students better understand and navigate the process of choosing classes and finishing graduation requirements. I really enjoy helping other students choose classes and talk about what path they want to take in college and beyond.” –Katherine Wei, Lovett 2013
“I applied to be a PAA because I love helping people out, and love helping relieve the stress that is associated with picking classes.”–Peter Abraham, McMurtry 2014
“I applied to be a PAA because I think it’s a great way to give back to the college. Academics are central to life at Rice, and it can be daunting creating a schedule which fits with both short term and long term goals. Hopefully being a PAA will enable me to help other students with this task.”–Claire Taylor, Jones 2013
“I applied to be a PAA because I loved tutoring in high school. To me, being a PAA was similar to that in that I was able to help people understand how to perhaps better plan their schedules and make them feel more comfortable with their academic plans….I have continued to be a PAA because I absolutely love it! The staff at the Office of Academic Advising is amazing and I’m glad to have gotten to know them better. Through the PAA program I have met a lot of people who really care about advising and academic encouragement. Furthermore, I think it’s exciting to help plan big academic events and to encourage academic endeavor at Rice.”–Sachin Allahabadi, Sid Richardson 2013
“I applied to be a PAA because I knew that it would be a great way to get to know classmates from all majors and years. Being on college government really wasn’t my “thing,” but I still wanted to make a positive contribution to my college (and university). Being a PAA has helped me do just that.”–Tina Munjal, Wiess 2012