Ariana Hudson joined the SSI team as the Assistant Director for the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP) in June 2024. She was born in El Paso, Texas and raised on a farm in Magnolia, Texas (an hour north of Houston). Ariana attended Southern Methodist University for her undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies with Honors, and a Spanish minor. Upon graduation, she taught middle school English Language Arts in New Orleans for two years before spending a year traveling through 30 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean with her best friend. When she returned to the United States, she moved back to Houston and continued teaching while obtaining her Master of Science in Education with a concentration in School Leadership from Johns Hopkins University. She served as an Assistant Principal for two years. She is incredibly passionate about increasing access and opportunities for underrepresented populations, and is honored to continue that work with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program. In her spare time, Ariana enjoys traveling, cooking, visiting new restaurants, reading, and spending time in the sun. She will never say no to a book, food, movie, or show recommendation!
 

Advising Philosophy

Ariana is dedicated to ensuring students are fully equipped to make the decisions and plans that best fit their individual dreams, interests, and needs. She believes that the university experience will help you grow as a scholar, leader, and person– and it’s important that your advising experience responds to all three of those areas of development. New learnings and experiences can bring new plans and perspectives, and Ariana will be there to support you academically, socially, and emotionally as you navigate your journey at Rice with resilience, curiosity, and vision.