Already a seasoned public speaker as a high school sophomore, Rihanna ’24 used her wealth of experience to start Commonwealth’s first Speech Club—a feat made all the more impressive because she did it during her first semester at the school, having recently transferred. Keep reading to get to know this sophomore from Haverhill, Massachusetts, who, in addition to public speaking, has a penchant for Percy Jackson, fencing, and all things October.

Getting to Know You

What is bringing you joy right now? 

Definitely my cat, Pumpkin. She's the most perfect thing ever. She's very, very sweet. We got her in October, my favorite month, so I wanted to commemorate that. I just love pumpkin-flavored things and Halloween and scary stories, like Coraline, Frankenweenie, and anything by Edgar Allan Poe.

What do you think is the most intriguing paradox? 

I don't know much about paradoxes, but I think, as people, we want to make our mark and to be remembered—for it to be known that we were here. Yet, we often forget about other people. 

What are your favorite comfort foods? 

Mac and cheese, by far. My aunt makes the best baked mac and cheese, with cornflakes on top. It's always the favorite at Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite book (or a book you’ve re-read)? 

My forever favorite is the Percy Jackson series. It's just very well written. In the first book, the villain is beautifully written; you feel so sympathetic towards him. And in general, it was probably the first young adult book that I read with good representation. More recently, I've read the first two books in The Scholomance series [A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novik]. I love fantasy, and the series is all about witches. It has a dark academia vibe. 

What was/is your favorite class (at Commonwealth or elsewhere)? 

It's split between Biology or Humanities, both of which I took last year at a different school. I just love molecular biology. It's very interesting to me. I plan to take Bio 2 sometime in my Commonwealth career.

Humanities was a really great class where we got to explore history through all sorts of mediums, not just literature: music, poetry, videos—basically anything under the sun that people can create, we learned history from it. 

Life as a Commonwealth Student (and Beyond)

What was your first impression of Commonwealth, and how has it mapped to your experience? 

I remember coming to Admitted Students’ Day, and all of the Commonwealth students knew each other so well. It seemed like the kind of place where everyone knows each other. And I thought, “That is really cool.” It ended up being true. It's definitely a really accepting place. I didn't know if an institution with a larger body of people could just be so accepting and open. Everyone here is very close. You could do anything and be anyone, and people will still love you for you.

You started a Speech Club at Commonwealth this year; what has that experience that been like? 

Well, I happen to really like public speaking. I took public speaking classes in seventh and eighth grade, and I’ve been on a speech team from seventh to tenth grade, now. I just fell in love with it. And when I learned that there wasn't a speech team at Commonwealth, I thought, “Well, that is an absolute shame!” So I fixed it. 

[Running the club] is a little challenging. At my old school, it was all very official: there was a speech teacher, and the team also kind of corresponded to a speech class, so it was easier to get people to practice. Whereas now I am getting a bunch of teenagers to listen only to me, which is difficult but also very fun. 

We recently did an improv event called “You're the Expert,” where I gave them each a prompt (e.g., molecular biology, mycology, Commonwealth students, wolves!), and they had a “job interview” where they had to convince me to hire them as the expert on that topic. It was hilarious.

What are your goals with the club? Are you building towards competitions or is it just for fun? 

Both. If it’s only for competition, it's excluding people who love public speaking but aren't passionate about doing it competitively or just aren't comfortable with that. That's not what I want at all. I want it to be a place where people who enjoy public speaking can share the art in whatever form it may take. But I also want to give people a chance to go and win those competitions. I think speech competitions bring a lot of people closer together. It is quite the experience, one I can't find anywhere else, personally.

What makes a good speech?

A lot of different things, but certainly passion and knowledge for the topic. It’s always the speeches where people really delve deep into their topic that are just so interesting, because you can tell how much they love what they are talking about.

And you don't have to have confidence–you have to be able to feign confidence. I'm actually not that good at memorizing speeches. So what often ends up happening is I have to take what I know [about the topic] and form the speech on the spot. But if you say things with an aura of confidence, and you actually know what you're talking about, you will get by just fine.

How do you spend your time outside of Commonwealth?

I love fencing. Of course, sports are required here at Commonwealth, but even if it wasn't required, I would be on the fencing team. I try to make it to Philosophy Club as often as I can; it's really fun, and they have great discussions. And I like just hanging out with my friends in the Dartmouth Lobby. It's not an extracurricular or anything, but it is a very enjoyable experience that some other schools don't have.

What’s your advice for prospective students considering Commonwealth, especially those who might be transferring from another high school? 

So, as a transfer student already in their high school career looking at a new school, oftentimes you're worried about whether or not you're going to be able to make a friend. At Commonwealth, I will tell you that you would have to actively try not to make friends. People will gravitate towards you. It is a small, tight-knit community, but it is a community where you can easily become acclimated. And you also don't have to worry about the academic transition—it is going to be a challenge, but your teachers will help you through it.

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