About
River An


Peddie School 27’

CREATIVE WRITING 
& PUBLICATIONS
Amphion Literary and Art Magazine — Editor-in-Chief, 2026–Present

Editorial leadership for Peddie’s century-old student-run literary and art magazine; curates 100+ annual submissions and mentors student contributors.

Creative Writing Signature Program — Selected Participant, 2025–2027

Two-year program in poetry, fiction, and graphic narrative; lead visual artist for a collaborative graphic narrative project.

Iowa Young Writers’ Studio — Selected Participant, Summer 2025

Two-week residential creative writing program in fiction and poetry.

Think of the Sea — Korean–English Screenplay Translator


Translated a short-film screenplay for international film festival submissions.
RESEARCH & LAW
Juvenile Miranda Rights Study — Independent Researcher, 2025–Present

Designed an IRB-approved study of 307 adolescents examining comprehension of Miranda warnings; authored a 20-page research paper and is developing a documentary based on the research.

New Jersey Student Ethics Conference — Presenter, 2025

Presented “Why Do Miranda Rights Fail to Protect Young People?” on false confessions, language barriers, and legal reform.

Columbia High School Law Institute — Participant, 2025–2026

Studied criminal procedure and constitutional law through Columbia Law School’s high school program.
LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY
Student DEI Leadership Council — Co-Leader, 2025–Present

Organizes student programming and dialogue; designed and led a DEI Day workshop connecting the Heart Sutra and Five Skandhas with contemporary inclusion.

Arts Citizenship Committee — Elected Representative, 2024–Present
Represents theatre students in school arts planning and student-faculty dialogue.

Hartley’s Legacy — Co-President, 2025–Present

Organizes student performers for twice-monthly performances at Princeton CIEL Senior Center; launched an oral-history project documenting residents’ songs and life stories.
VISUAL ART
Independent Studio Art Portfolio — 2024–Present

Developing a 12–15 piece portfolio exploring storytelling and memory through digital and traditional media.

ULTRAVIOLET at BRIC House Gallery — Selected Artist, 2026

Selected for a juried youth contemporary art exhibition in Brooklyn.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Gold Key — Poetry; Silver Key — Mixed Media; Honorable Mentions in visual art and writing.
PERFORMING ARTS
Musical Theatre — Peddie School, 2023–Present

Gloria Thorpe, Damn Yankees; Fiona, Shrek the Musical; ensemble in The Prom and Mamma Mia!; Assistant Stage Manager and onstage band singer in Romeo and Juliet.

Vocal Performance — Peddie School, 2023–Present

Lead Vocalist, Blair Day Band; soprano soloist for chapel services, alumni memorials, and school ceremonies; member of Peddie Singers and Treblemakers.

Private Voice & Acting Training
Voice study with David Gordon, Manhattan School of Music; acting and vocal coaching with Broadway performers Marina Kondo and Michelle Beck; New York Film Academy musical theatre intensive.
ATHLETICS
Varsity Girls Golf — Peddie School, Grades 9–10

Two-year varsity team member; 2025 Mid-Atlantic Prep League team champion.
HONORS & RECOGNITION
National Merit Commended Scholar, 2026

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Gold Key(Poetry, 2026), Silver Key & Honorable Mentions (Mixed Medea, Painting, 2024-2025)

CS Music Vocal Competition — National Live Second Round, Musical Theatre & Classical Voice, 2026

Peddie Declamation Contest — 2nd Place, 2026; Honorable Mention, 2024 & 2025





Acting : Musical
Damn Yankees,
Peddie Musical, 2025


Gloria Thorpe
As a sophomore, I was cast as Gloria Thorpe in Damn Yankees, a lead role typically given to upperclassmen in Peddie’s Winter Musical. It was a bold, fast-paced part with sharp wit and vocal firepower—and one I embraced fully. My teachers saw something in me and trusted me with that energy, and on stage, I returned it with everything I had. Gloria let me be unapologetically loud, clever, and commanding. I wasn’t just playing a character—I was inhabiting a kind of power I didn’t always show offstage. That role didn’t just grow me as a performer; it affirmed how performance can reveal dimensions of the self that others already believe in.

The Prom, Peddie Musical, 2024



Ensemble MemberAfter performing in Peddie’s Freshman Musical early in my first year, I auditioned for the school-wide Winter Musical The Prom—a production typically led by upperclassmen—and was cast as an ensemble member. Though not a lead, the role challenged me to stay present through group choreography, harmonies, and silent acting. I learned that performance isn’t always about being seen—it’s about building the emotional current beneath the story. Ensemble work taught me to listen, support, and contribute with quiet intention.
Shrek, Peddie Freshmen Musical, 2024


FionaIn my first semester at Peddie, I was cast as Fiona in the Freshman Musical Shrek. Though I had theater experience before, this was my first time stepping into a lead role in a completely new community. At a time when I was still learning names and navigating unfamiliar hallways, I found myself building something real on stage—with people I barely knew, but would soon laugh, fail, and grow with. Playing Fiona—a character both outrageous and sincere—helped me ground myself in presence, humor, and risk. That show didn’t mark my start in theater, but it did mark the moment I began to feel at home through it.