Riki has served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for Computing Foundations: Data for three semesters and is a member of the Brown Aerial and Acrobatics student organization, through which he performs and teaches aerial hoop, also known as lyra.

The Open Curriculum was a big draw. It’s allowed me to explore a lot of things, like dance and theatre and performing arts. My junior year I took ballet with some friends — and I hadn’t done ballet before, or even watched it. It was something that I stuck with and really enjoyed. It’s been really cool over the years to dip my toes in a bunch of different fields.

When I was a first-year student I really tried to make an active effort to talk to people, try new things and take classes that seemed interesting. Being at Brown is such a unique experience. It’s important to get out of that comfort zone and try different things and take classes you normally wouldn’t. 

Overall, Brown has shown me a broader world of performance that I can fit into, beyond my academic interests. There are so many campus clubs where you can walk in and just try something. I went to a couple of swing dance practices and workshops where they teach you a bit of choreography. That’s something that’s really valuable about being here.

My favorite class at Brown is Persuasive Communication with Barbara Tannenbaum, which is basically a public speaking course. The way it’s designed helps you challenge yourself and it’s great for receiving feedback. I think it’s the most useful course for life because you can’t really get by without communicating with people. 

I had a summer internship at Microsoft that led to a job offer, so I’ll be heading to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, after graduation. I’m very grateful to have had the professional experience in tech. I discovered a field that can give me a lot of creative freedom and the ability to work on things that I enjoy.