About
River An
Peddie School 27’
CREATIVE WRITING
& PUBLICATIONS
& 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
Painting | Mixed Media | Digital
Birth of Passion
Participated in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
I work across mediums—drawing, painting, digital composition—but what stays constant is my interest in memory, emotion, and the spaces in between. I’m drawn to textures, rhythms, and quiet tension. My creative process often begins with discomfort, but it’s through that uncertainty that form begins to emerge.
Participated in the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest
Untitled(Ocean2)
"Trash that looks like fish."
We’ve seen the statistics. We carry tote bags that say “Save the Ocean.” And yet, we continue to feel distant from the crisis—like it’s happening somewhere else.
This piece is about collapsing that distance. By turning discarded plastics into fish-like hybrids, I wanted viewers to experience the discomfort of seeing the natural world distorted into something disturbingly familiar. The ocean is not a separate world; it’s a mirror of our choices.
I used colored pencil for precision and soft pastels for atmosphere, blending control with uncertainty. The result is a world where trash and marine life blur into one—just as human behavior and ecological loss have become inseparable.
Pieces of Becoming (04.22.26 - 08.02.26)
Selected Artist, ULTRAVIOLET – BRIC Youth Contemporary Art Exhibition (2026), Brooklyn, NY
Selected artist for ULTRAVIOLET, BRIC’s annual youth-led contemporary art exhibition in Brooklyn, NY. Curated by the Youth Curators Fellowship, the exhibition features over 100 works by NYC high school artists across disciplines including painting, photography, mixed media, and installation.
Exhibited at BRIC House Gallery as part of the 2026 Teen Takeover program.
For Dear Life
Participated in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Children are born with their own individuality, unique strengths, and different dreams. Yet, at some point, they are swept into the expectation of excelling academically and striving toward the same standardized goals. This cycle often culminates in adulthood, where many find themselves sitting at identical cubicles, divided in corporate offices, completing menial tasks, regardless of their unique talents or individuality.
As a 10th-grade student observing this phenomenon, I am struck by the relentless pressure placed on students to pursue academic success at the expense of their individuality. Through my art, I aimed to capture not only this struggle but also the resilience against it—students cling onto success, apprehensive about the future, but they also refuse to fall. The drawing symbolizes the precarious balance between individuality and the collective pursuit of uniformity, illustrating the tension and perseverance it takes to navigate a system that prioritizes conformity over personal dreams and identity.
Amphion Literary & Art Magazine – Selected Cover Artist (2024)
© RIVER AN 2025