Student Spotlight: Riley Harn
Co-Editor and Senior Staff Writer Isabella Palit '24
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After spending just an hour with Senior Riley Harn, it is evident that she has somehow managed to do absolutely everything, which is quite an impressive feat. Not only does she lead three different clubs, participate in a variety of other extracurriculars, and explore Massachusetts for her SISP, but she also has an hour-long commute each day.
Junior year, Riley participated in many MAMS clubs, from CAD to Poetry to newspaper to Robotics. As a senior, she is a Co-Editor of the Brickyard Beat, Co-Captain of the FRC Robotics Team 190, and Co-President/Co-Founder of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) NEXT Chapter. Outside of Mass Academy, Riley has been an active member of the National Charity League (NCL) of Blue Hills for five years. Currently, she holds the Historian position for her grade-level, having already served as Vice President her sophomore year and President her junior year.
Riley has been a cellist for the past eight years. After being unable to take an orchestra class her freshman year due to being in the accelerated math program at Canton High School, she joined the Canton High School Orchestra, Pops Orchestra, and was a founding member of the Contemporary Music Workshop her sophomore year. Riley was first chair of the CHS Orchestra despite only being a sophomore, winning the position over juniors and seniors. She has even played in adult orchestras including the Brockton Symphony Orchestra.
Asked about her favorite parts of each extracurricular, Riley said:
Brickyard Beat: “It’s not STEM related. I really like that I’m able to write and improve my writing skills, especially when editing other people’s work.”
Robotics: “I want to be an engineer, so it’s basically doing what I want to do with my future, which is really cool. I’m gaining skills like CAD and machining that I will hopefully use in future jobs. And being Pit Boss last year and a Captain on the team this has really pushed me to be a better leader and have more confidence in myself
SWE Next: “It’s a really good group of people and community. They’re passionate about what they’re doing and take initiative.”
NCL: “I really liked those leadership positions and I got really into it. It’s a mother-daughter thing and usually the mothers take the initiative but I wanted to do my own thing, so I planned my own events. For example, I planned a paint night in which we talked about leadership with the younger girls and co-founded a book club for the younger girls of the chapter.”
Cello: “I really like challenging myself in a different mode compared to school. I like classical music, especially baroque music because of the technique it requires.”
For her Senior Independent Study Project (SISP), Riley is writing a travel blog aimed at teenagers in the Boston area. The blog is called “The One-Hour Commute,” named after her daily drive. Her incredible writing skills are evident in the blog’s posts, so it’s definitely worth a read, especially if you’re looking for something fun to do in the area.
Asked about why she chose this for her SISP, Riley said, “I had some goals: learn, relax more, and do something enjoyable. I do so much academic stuff so I wanted something that pushed me to do something non-academic, because otherwise I wouldn't do it. It also pushes me out of my ‘comfort geography,’” a term Riley has coined to describe getting out of your local area and seeing what else your state, region, or nearby cities offer.
She says her favorite part is that “It pushes me to be social and hang out with my friends, doing something that is more than just getting dinner or going to a movie. Helps me to engage with different communities around Massachusetts in a new way.”
For the juniors thinking about SISP ideas, Riley says, “Choose something that fits into what you want out of senior year. For me, I knew I’d have a ton of ways to challenge myself academically, so I chose something that would help me relax, spend more time having fun, and cause me to be able to prioritize spending time with friends. But I think that’s different for everyone, so really take a moment to think about what you wish you had more time to do and go with that.”
One fun fact about Riley that few people know is that she “met Jojo Siwa nine years ago, before she was super famous. I went to this dance masterclass that she was gonna be at. Her mom used to hand make the bows before Target and other major manufacturers started making them. I have one of the original hand-made bows from JoJo's mom..”
Ultimately, Riley seems to have done it all, from clubs to SISP and beyond. We can’t wait to see where she goes from here!
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