Melissa Cote

I am not a native Houstonian, but I’ve been here since 2001 and have worked at Rice Business since 2005. Prior to that, I grew up a Marine Corps brat, but much of my pre-Houston life was spent in Virginia. I earned a B.A. in theatre from Mary Washington College (now University of Mary Washington), and while my career has transitioned from stage management to education management, I am still a regular patron of the theatre. My time off is typically split between time in VA with my family, theatre trips to NYC, or sitting on a beach somewhere. In 2016, I graduated from the Rice MBA for Professionals Evening program and now spend most of my time buried in data, optimizing the background pieces that support the academic experience of today’s Rice MBAs.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Seneca. I feel like this quote has been a guiding force in my life. Preparation and opportunity can’t bear fruit without the other. By working hard and finding ways to learn new skills, I have been ready to seize opportunities which were not always directly in my line of vision. In combining these two components, I think that I have been lucky indeed!

What are you reading?

I’m a pretty big bookworm and spend most of my reading time in mysteries or historical fiction (particularly related to WWII). I recently loved The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, which is a fictional story about women involved in the real-life Pack Horse Library initiative during the Great Depression. This Works Progress Administration (WPA) project sought to lend books and other reading materials to remote populations in the Kentucky Appalachians. The novel paints a picture of the struggles these women faced at home and on their routes during a challenging time in U.S. history.