Rihanna was recently bestowed with the Harvard University Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition for her worldwide contribution to education and cancer research. Despite not finishing high school, Rihanna is a strong advocate for global education and has established the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program in honor of her grandparents, which offers scholarships to college students from Caribbean countries who intend to study in the United States. Additionally, she supports the Global Partnership for Education and the Global Citizen Project, both of which aim to provide access to education for millions of young individuals across the globe. Rihanna also funds a center in Bridgetown, Barbados that diagnoses and treats breast cancer patients.
During her acceptance speech, Rihanna shared that as a young girl she dreamed of being rich enough to spend millions of dollars on saving lives, but never imagined that it would become a reality for her in her teenage years. She joins previous honorees such as Malala Yousafzai, Thorbjørn Jagland, Ban Ki-moon, and Kofi Annan. Rihanna also spoke about her family members who passed away from cancer, which motivated her to establish a cancer treatment center. Her message to the student audience was that everyone desires a chance at life, education, and a future. She encouraged them to engage in humanitarian projects and implied that she might enroll in classes at Harvard in the future despite not having a college degree herself. Rihanna highlighted that anyone can make a difference regardless of their wealth, fame or education.
