What does commitment look like? Ask Riva, and she will tell you commitment is sweating in a Baloo the Bear costume under a spotlight whilst singing “The Bear Necessities” at the top of your lungs. Having the lead role in The Jungle Book last school year may seem glamourous, but Riva will tell you, it’s a lot of work! In a head-to-toe, fuzzy bear costume, Riva was the Beyonce of Baloo’s. What was crystal-clear from her performance is that Riva is taking her Student Life Programme activities seriously.
On stage in her first-ever musical, The Jungle Book, Riva demonstrated some serious star-power. She wasn't just a student in a bear suit; she was a performer who had found her "groove." Surprisingly, Riva’s father reveals that Riva “loves her comfort zone”. Recognizing this, her parents employ a strategy of pushing her "slightly over the edge" to try new things or participate in competitions. MIS’s Student Life Programme (SLP) was "one of the major reasons why we signed up for MIS.”
Each year, SLP offers over 100 seasonal activities, clubs, and sports. Throughout her Junior School years, Riva has participated in a myriad of activities on offer including advanced gymnastics, taekwondo, tennis, swimming, glee club, soccer, cooking, Japanese language, ceramics, choir, track & field, photography, volleyball, and hip-hop dance. The core of her family’s philosophy is to give Riva "as many options during this early stage of life as possible."
Now that she is in middle school and her schedule demands more balance between academics and activity, Riva has narrowed her athletics and activities to focus on areas where she has higher potential and more intrinsic motivation, making informed choices about where to direct her energy. This first semester of 5th grade, Riva chose to sign up for the Middle School musical, Middle School girls’ soccer, and Middle School cheerleading.
Fast-forward to ‘lights up’ on the set of the massive ensemble Middle School production of Olympiaganza in early November. One of the fifty-four cast members to take the stage was Riva, playing a disgruntled Greek Titan being drug through couple’s therapy. Her costume was more understated than the fuzzy bear suit, but her performance had the same self-assurance and charisma that wow’ed audiences last school year. When asked how she developed her confidence; she answers simply, "my mom and dad supported me.”