Bill Thomas

Home Country: United States

Home State: OH

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University Bloomington

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor if applicable): Criminal Justice/History

Pre-MBA Industry: Military Service

Pre-MBA Company: United States Army

Pre-MBA Title: Captain/Company Commander

Desired industry post-MBA: Energy, Healthcare

Desired job function post-MBA: Strategy, Finance

Degree Specializations: Finance

Student Organization Membership: Consulting Association, Veterans in Business Association

Officer: 1st-Year Representative, Veterans in Business Association

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA? The most surprising part of my Rice MBA experience has been how passionate and accessible my professors have been. One thing that really stood out to me about Rice when applying to my different MBA programs was the smaller cohort size. With the smaller cohorts, every single one of my professors knows me on a first-name basis. Their passion for teaching and dedication to seeing their students thrive isn't something I would benefit from at a larger program.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience? My favorite thing about my Rice MBA experience so far has been meeting and learning from my incredibly diverse, incredibly talented classmates. Each and every student in the Full-Time program brings something unique to our class that we can all tap into and learn from. As someone pivoting careers, the casual conversations I've had with engineers, former bankers, marketers, and supply chain managers have been educational and equally rewarding in their own right. And the greatest part is we get to work together and learn from each other every day through the core program, professional clubs, and the incredible social opportunities Rice provides.

What do you love most about Houston? The one thing I love most about Houston is just how much goes on in this city. The benefit of living here is pretty much any activity you can think of is available to you. Houston has professional sports, music, art, the Houston Rodeo, and any type of food imaginable. However you like to spend your free time, there is a place or group or way to experience it in Houston, Texas.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective student? One piece of advice I would share with a prospective student is to soak in everything you can about this program. It has so much to offer and provides you with every resource imaginable to help you achieve your goals. You belong here.