Unconventional Students: Esther Tang designed and danced her way through Rice

Esther Tang was interested in fine arts, math and science in high school, and wanted to pursue something more interdisciplinary in college. She landed on architecture after speaking with an architect that sold the profession to her. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of great mentors during my time at Rice,” she said. “Many of the ones I look up to are women who have their own firm, and I think that’s really admirable and I’d like to have that control in my life.”

A dancer growing up, Tang joined Rice Dance Theater to continue her passion at Rice. “It’s something that had been very constant in my life,” she said. “Dance helps me destress, let loose, get some exercise and express myself in a different way.”

Tang sum up her Rice experience as gaining a better understanding of who she is and what she wants to do. “I think I explored a lot of things, got to know myself better, had a lot of failures, had some successes,” she said. “I definitely learned that I couldn’t do everything at the same time.”