Jennifer Trejo ’10

Jennifer Trejo ’10, a mathematics major and recipient of the Leo M. Acker Memorial Scholarship, has always had a knack for arithmetic, beginning when she was a toddler learning to count with an abacus. After high school, while working as a customer accounts manager, she even volunteered in her spare time to complete basic equations for her father, who is a chemist.

Thanks to her scholarships, Jennifer is no longer crunching numbers on accounts — instead, she is exploring multilinear variables and testing complicated theorems. “Scholarships have let me live my dream,” said Jennifer, who transferred to Rice from San Jacinto Community College in 2007. “I tell my family all the time how grateful I am to be at Rice.”

When Jennifer isn’t solving math problems, she’s teaching her daughter Ariana life concepts. “Ariana knows that the people who have supported my education have made our lives better,” Jennifer said. “I hope someday to pay it forward.”

Rice is committed to supporting gifted students like Jennifer and plans to raise $100 million in need-based and merit scholarships through the Centennial Scholarship Initiative, one of the signature priorities of the Centennial Campaign.