Ceri Riley '16

Hey there! My name's Ceri (rhymes with Terry). I use she/her pronouns.

I graduated from MIT in 2016 with a degree in Comparative Media Studies (CMS) and Biology (7A), and a HASS concentration in Technical Theater (21M). Then, I ran away to Montana and lived in a town that was once a glacial lake for nearly 6 years doing weird, fun, meaningful educational media stuff. I thought I had said goodbye to Boston for good, but I found my way back in 2021, and I’m currently an Assistant Director for Communications at MIT Admissions + Student Financial Services.

These blogs occupy a special corner of my heart because they're a snapshot of smol!Ceri forging deep friendships and navigating MIT and growing up. And while my soft, chaotic essence is the same as back then, I’m returning to the blogs as a very different version of me.

Anyway, it’s nice to (re-)meet you. I’m queer, I'm biracial, I’m a cat mom and plant dad, I’m an editor, I’m an artist, and I’m a podcaster (which conflicts with blogger meetings so I'm also a delinquent!! ahh!) I’m very easy to Google, I’m a runner out of sheer stubbornness, I’m a mediocre chef but an excellent smoothie-maker, and I’m deeply sad sometimes but have found ways to be gentle with myself.

I've accepted that my future will always be full of surprises, but I know, more than anything, that I want to have a positive impact on the lives that cross paths with mine. And I hope I can do a little of that here in the admissions office!