Soaring to Greater Heights

By Tracey Rhoades

Since 2022, the Take Flight Scholars program has given more than a dozen honor students from two Houston-area community colleges, San Jacinto College and Lone Star College, the tools to transition to and complete their bachelor’s degrees at Rice. This year, the program expanded beyond its initial focus on STEM-focused majors — it was previously called the Take Flight STEM Pathway — to include students pursuing humanities, business and social sciences.

Led by the Office of Strategic and Educational Initiatives in the provost’s office, the program includes a wide range of programming designed for community college honors students to explore the opportunities that Rice and other four-year institutions offer, including on-campus events, online workshops and information sessions, and summer research and project-based experiences.

“Working on the Take Flight Scholars program has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” says Andy Osborn, program manager of educational initiatives. “It’s incredibly inspiring to watch such motivated, resourceful and dedicated students seize the opportunities provided by the program as they journey toward their destinations at four-year institutions.”

Osborn says it’s been especially encouraging to see Take Flight students who have transferred to Rice commit to “paying it forward” to other San Jacinto and Lone Star students hoping to follow in their footsteps by serving as Take Flight Alumni Ambassadors. Several of them have gone on to receive prestigious scholarships, research awards from noted professional organizations and top honors at research symposiums.

Read what three current ambassadors have to say about Take Flight and the opportunities it has afforded them at Rice.

Chaianan Pongprasert ’28

Major: Business Finance
College: Hanszen

Tell us about your journey from Lone Star College to Rice.
My first year at Lone Star was a stage in my life where I was trying to figure out what I really wanted to pursue for my future. I slowly started realizing that I wanted to aim higher for myself. I then joined the Honors College, where I was first exposed to undergraduate research and I had the opportunity to be a part of the Rice Take Flight program. Being a part of the honors community and being around so many other smart and talented students really inspired me to improve myself and encouraged me to transfer to Rice.

What has been the most rewarding part of transferring to Rice?
The most rewarding part has been proving to myself that I belong in a place like Rice and being able to give back in the same spaces that helped me. I know how overwhelming the transfer process can feel, so being able to encourage [transfer students] and share my story has been very full circle for me. I have grown a lot more confident since coming to Rice. Being here has pushed me outside of my comfort zone in the best way.

As an ambassador, what do you think is important to convey to transfer students interested in coming to Rice?
It’s important to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. Work hard, because once you transfer to a university like Rice, the academic expectations get a lot more challenging. Beyond academics, build relationships with other students, alumni and professors. Having a strong support system makes a big difference. And be willing to ask for help, stay open to learning and keep pushing yourself. If they can do those things, then they are already putting themselves in a great position, not just to get to Rice, but to succeed once they are here.

Gwendolyn Crain ’28

Major: Communications Studies
College: Jones

What makes the Take Flight program unique?
Honestly, I feel like there is nothing else that exists like it. In a higher education landscape where STEM-focused transfer pathways are more common, it is incredibly rare to see this level of intentional investment in community college transfer students pursuing the humanities. It offers a ready-made community. Students have the chance to connect with others not only in their field of interest but with people who share the same life experiences. It recognizes that transfer students have distinct experiences and ensures they are not navigating Rice alone. Being surrounded by people who share your same ambition and experiences is empowering in a way. It creates a network of scholars, alumni and mentors who understand the transition process and actively invest in students’ success, and the intention behind that makes a world of difference.

What are your plans after Rice?
I plan to attend law school and pursue a career in international law or diplomacy. I’m particularly interested in global affairs and the intersection of law and foreign policy. Long-term, I hope to serve in a role that strengthens international cooperation, whether as an international attorney, policy adviser or ambassador.

What memorable experiences have you had since transferring to Rice?
I have had so many. Rice may be small, but there are opportunities everywhere regardless of your interests. I particularly enjoyed the Center for Civic Leadership’s Moody Civic Immersion program, which allowed me to volunteer with different community partners across Houston and explore how I can contribute to the community that I grew up in. I have also thoroughly enjoyed working with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, which has offered me opportunities to engage in independent and collaborative research, helping me find what niche of research I enjoy the most.

Saylor Robinson ’28

Major: Sport Analytics and Statistics
College: Jones

What has been the most rewarding part of transferring to Rice?
Having access to specific opportunities that can boost readiness for your path of study and for your potential career in the future. I am a part of the student-run sport analytics team at Rice. I work with the baseball team to produce scouting reports on opposing teams to better prepare Rice for their season. It has been amazing to work and learn from such amazing faculty who have established themselves in the sport analytics industry prior to teaching at Rice. I feel [it’s] prepared me for a future career in the industry.

What makes the program unique?
It is a unique avenue to really discover what your academic career can look like at a four-year university. The lectures that Rice makes accessible to potential transfer students through the program really shed light on the kind of opportunities you’ll have.

What memorable experiences have you had since transferring to Rice?
I had the opportunity to attend the Society for American Baseball Research Analytics Conference and compete in the Diamond Dollars Case Competition. The competition challenges a team of five students to solve a baseball operations case problem, a similar kind of problem that you would face if you worked for an MLB team in a baseball operations capacity. My team was first out of 17 teams, and we got to give an encore presentation. This opportunity would not have been possible without Rice’s support.

From the Spring 2026 issue of Rice Magazine