Billy Rice '25 has two passions in life: baseball and cars. He's turning one of them into a career.
Rice's first car when he turned 16 wasn't actually a car, it was a 2018 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Rice was a company man years before he belonged to the company.
"I've had Toyotas my whole life. They make great, dependable vehicles. I am beyond excited I was chosen for this position."
Rice's first ride may have been slightly influenced by his dad, a master technician for Lexus, which is a luxury division of Toyota. When Rice was growing up, his dad was always doing something with a vehicle, which made it second nature to his son.
"I've been around vehicles my whole life. My dad helped spark this interest when I was a kid, and I never grew out of it. Cars have always been a passion."
So was baseball. The southern California native followed that passion to Division II Newman University in Wichita, Kansas where he played ball and developed in the classroom. A year later, Siena came calling.
“I was in Grand Cayman, and I received a call from the Siena coach offering me a scholarship. I called my parents and told them the news. Right away, they said, 'You're going there.'"
Rice enrolled in business administration with the dream of pursuing a career in the automotive industry. Growing up, he always loved to chat with new people, so he figured being on the sales side of business made sense. Those instincts were nurtured at Siena (Rice's sister, Karissa Rice ’27, is on Siena's softball team).
"The faculty, the courses – everything sets you up the right way. I sharpened my skills as the years went on, and it was a fantastic experience gaining a degree from Siena."
In June, Rice was hired by Toyota as a Manager Trainee. He's in the Baltimore area, but he's typically on the road. Over the next few months, Rice will complete four to five rotations, including sales and service.
"It's been non-stop travel, which I love. And I'm using the public speaking and writing and business skills I developed at Siena. It's been great."
Rice now talks shop with his dad almost daily, often while cruising from one city to the next in his new Toyota 4Runner. Toyota’s are all that he's ever known. Rice is a company man, and he says he's looking forward to helping make Toyota the leading car company in the world.
