Caroline Metts

Home Country: United States

Home State: NC

Undergraduate Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): Bachelor of Science, Nursing

Pre-MBA Industry: Healthcare

Pre-MBA Company: Memorial Hermann

Pre-MBA Title: Registered Nurse

Desired industry post-MBA: Consulting

Desired job function post-MBA: Consultant

Degree Concentrations: Health Care, Marketing

Student Organization Membership: Rice Business Board Fellows, Consulting Association, The Adam Smith Society, Forte, Healthcare Association, Women In Leadership Conference

Officer: Consulting Association President
Speakers Chair (External Relations Committee) for Women In Leadership Conference

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA? The most surprising part of my MBA experience has been how much I’ve enjoyed the entrepreneurship electives and resources. Before starting the program, I knew Rice had a strong reputation in entrepreneurship, but I didn’t think it was something that applied to me. I wasn’t planning to start a business: I was coming from healthcare and focused more on consulting or hospital administration.

But once I got here and took a few entrepreneurship courses, I've felt like there are more paths out there (like starting a new business) for me. The classes are incredibly well-taught, hands-on, and honestly applicable to almost every corner of the MBA journey. Whether you want to start a company or not, they sharpen the way you think about problems, opportunities, and decision-making. I’ve felt my strategic thinking grow in ways I didn’t expect, and I feel more well-rounded and confident because of it.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience? My favorite part of the MBA experience so far has been the Rice community. I’ve felt it in so many small but meaningful ways like Shelley Richard from the CDO checking in on me constantly during my first semester because she knew how overwhelmed I was trying to understand recruiting. Or Professor Ballew, who made me feel completely at ease in accounting, even though I had never worked with financial statements before. She always kept her door open for office hours and somehow made the subject feel less intimidating and more empowering.

I’ve also felt it in the friendships I’ve built and in the classroom, where people genuinely want to see each other succeed. Even though I’d lived in Houston for four years before starting at Rice, it didn’t feel like home until I started classes here. That shift didn’t come from one big moment, it came from the people. From day one, I felt welcomed and supported, and that sense of belonging has only grown. It’s been the foundation of my experience here, and something I’m truly grateful for.

What do you love most about Houston? What I love most about Houston is its diversity of people, cultures, languages, food, and experiences. There’s always something new to try, someone new to meet, and something new to learn.

One of my favorite ways to describe Houston comes from a shift I worked as a postpartum nurse. Of the four families I was caring for that day, one was an Orthodox Jewish family observing the Sabbath who couldn’t use technology, another only spoke Spanish, another had recently immigrated from Vietnam, and the last was a Houston-born family with deep Texas roots. Every time I walked into a room, I was welcomed with kindness, and every time I left, I felt like I had developed a deeper understanding of others and a greater appreciation for a Houston.

That shift stuck with me because it perfectly captured what makes Houston special: it embraces people from all walks of life. It’s a place where differences are respected, stories are shared, and connection is always possible.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective? Do the readings and listen/talk to your teachers because there is so much to learn in so little time.