Unconventional students at Rice: Three is the perfect number

The Tohme triplets never expected to all get into Rice. When they did, Alberto, Anthony and Serena considered it a fortunate scenario that they could attend the same school and still have different experiences in their individual residential colleges.

“I think it’s incredible that we came to Rice as a package, then branched out at the beginning to find ourselves, and then came back together at the end,” Alberto said. “It’s been a crazy journey, but I think we’ve all learned a lot about ourselves and each other.”

The Tohme triplets entered Rice with interests and curiosity and are leaving with developed passions and career paths they hope to pursue.

Anthony, a political science and history major, choose these areas of interest after deciding he will pursue a career in law. He will attend law school in the fall.

Alberto, a political science and philosophy major, discovered his passion for philosophy at Rice. He will also attend law school in the fall and has a strong interest in working for the government.

Serena, a psychology major, will attend graduate school for public health in the fall. “I decided to major in psychology because its applicable to almost everything in life,” she said. “I enjoy the study of people and understanding why they interact and why they behave the way they do.”

Graduating from Rice is a special time for every senior, but it also marks the first time the Tohme triplets will live apart.

“The next step will be intimidating, because we will likely be on our own for the first time, but we’ll still always be able to call each other,” Anthony said. “Even though we won’t be in the same city, we’ll still have the same bond we’ve always had.”

“Walking out of the Sallyport on graduation is going to be so emotional for so many reasons, but seeing our parents is going to be the reason I cry,” Serena said.

“Everything we did, we did to make them proud and I hope that we accomplished that,” Alberto said.

About Brandon Martin

Greetings, I am a video producer at Rice University in the Office of Public Affairs. I became a Rice Owl in June 2011. Before that, I was at KPRC-TV in Houston as a special projects photojournalist for seven years, where I covered everything from hurricanes to sports. Southeast Texas has been my home my entire life. I am lucky to have a wonderful wife and two of the cutest girls I have ever seen. Go Owls!