![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
She’s every school’s dream with a sunny disposition and an impressive reputation. While carrying the load of being an IB student, she juggles several band ensembles, being president of Robinson’s Best Buddies club, playing for the tennis team, student government and national honor society. Junior Aniyah Ritch, the model student. And on top of that: she’s an actual model.
Ritch began her modeling journey as a freshman when scouted at her local Target.
“I was just walking around Target and a scout came up to me and asked us if I was interested in modeling. We checked the legitimacy of course and I ended up being signed that year,” Ritch said.
So far in her modeling career, she has spent time building her portfolio with several photo shoots with The Industry, her mother agency. The Industry is geared towards younger women, and helped her develop as a model before getting signed with a booking agency. Recently, she received her first paid booking to model for Macy’s Back to School campaign.
“I got the email like a week before because it’s a super-fast-paced industry. It was unexpected, but it was such a cool experience. The plan for my agency is to start with more commercial stuff and then work my way up to high fashion. I might try to stay with a commercial for now because it’s more sustainable,” Ritch said.
If Ritch decides to take the high fashion route, she’s determined to use her platform for good. With her presidency of Best Buddies club, a club based on inclusivity for the intellectually and developmentally disabled, Ritch is a strong advocate for disability rights.
“I am very passionate about disability rights, and I feel like it’s a very prevalent issue and it’s international. Their community doesn’t have too much advocacy and I would love to take advantage of the privilege to be able to talk about things to empower marginalized communities,” Ritch said.
Including Best Buddies, Ritch has an incredibly busy schedule so flying out to New York to model isn’t always easy. Now that Ritch is officially seventeen, there’s more availability for a different market so she’s open to more bookings. Because she is still a minor, she needs an adult chaperone to accompany her to New York, so there is a lot of sacrifice when it comes to her taking new jobs. It’s also a lot to balance with her rigorous IB schedule.
“I missed a test on Tuesday when I went up to the shoot, and then the day after the shoot was the SAT. I came in at midnight on the flight the night before the SAT, and then I took the SAT the next day. So, it does kind of create a chaotic lifestyle when I do have to go away for these photoshoots, but I do think that from a career standpoint it is worth it, I just won’t be able to take every single booking,” Ritch said.
Despite the chaos, modeling is highly rewarding for Ritch, who describes one of her strengths as being personable.
“I love meeting new people and in New York, it’s kind of like a culmination of people from all across the world who have come to pursue some sort of career in mainstream culture. So, I think that it’s really interesting to be able to meet people from different cultures, different backgrounds, all with a collective dream of wanting to sort of pursue something in the modeling industry,” Ritch said.
As well as bonding with fellow models in New York, Ritch also forges connections with those who have similar aspirations.
“Aniyah’s modeling journey is very inspiring for me, and I think it’s important to boost each other up as we continue our journeys. I love watching her succeed and do amazing shoots,” fellow model Ally Linsky (’25) who’s signed to the same agency as Ritch.
Networking with fellow models is highly enlightening for her to discover who she is as a model.
“I would say that modeling has taught me the importance of looking beyond a person’s face because while it is a very superficial industry, it has given me the opportunity to meet people beyond just how they’re viewed,” Ritch said. “It gave me a new perspective on the world of modeling because like one of my greatest fears is being seen as a ‘dumb model,’ but I also work super hard at school, so there’s always more beyond the face.”
This story was originally published on RHS Today on May 3, 2024.