Meet Our Scholars

Riley Smith hails from southern Maine but lives in Boston, Massachusetts. In high school, they had the honor of serving as Vice President of their class, of the National Honor Society, and of the Student Council. They also planned a school-wide anti-bullying event and founded their school’s first ever Civil Rights and Social Justice Club. It was during their time in this club that Riley met a human rights attorney, an experience that cemented her desire to remain a lifelong activist. In college, Riley studied politics and theatre arts. They acted in ten theater productions, rowed on the college’s varsity crew team, and served as a class officer for three years. They also held two internships; one through GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and another through Point Foundation’s affiliation with the Elton John AIDS Foundation. For the latter, they developed HIV curriculum for college students in the Pioneer Valley. During their senior year, they served on the college’s New Student Orientation Board and worked in the Office of Admission where they interviewed prospective students. Their senior honors thesis analyzed the structures of and strategies employed by two different grassroots organizations during the beginning of the HIV Crisis in New York City. They graduated cum laude with honor. Riley enjoys a good athletic challenge and has bicycled across the entire continental twice to benefit the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. They have previously worked as a legal assistant at GLAD. They currently work as a consultant at a technology firm and uses technology to assist nonprofits with operations, data quality, and capacity.