Filling in the Gaps

“At Rice, once you apply, you’re already considered for a scholarship. The application process is so arduous. You really put yourself out there. Rice could see my value. It meant a lot to me get the recognition and receive the Crownover Scholarship.”

When Fareen Elias was in high school she came to Rice with Management Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT). She heard a presentation about how 10 major problems in the world could be solved by energy. “I realized I wanted to help solve those problems.” So she went to Texas A&M, majored in geophysics and minored in math and economics. After five years as a support geophysicist at a subsurface imaging software company and witnessing industry joint ventures, consolidations and software developer acquisitions, Fareen became interested in how companies were bought, sold and valued. “I wondered if I could take my operational experience and move to financial services and help energy companies create value.” Working in a startup environment, much of what she learned was self-taught. “I knew there were gaps.” The MBA was her next step. She was accepted at Rice and UT, but “Rice was the dream from the beginning.” And then she got a call that she was a nominee for the Crownover Scholarship. “It was so amazing. To go from the idea of sacrificing two years of income and paying for school, to hearing that you won the scholarship — I cried tears of joy. And Mr. Crownover is amazing. He really opens himself up and gives back to the students. I’m really excited for my next two years here.”