When Angel Riley first stepped onto the UW-River Falls campus, she didn’t expect to stay long. She arrived from Minneapolis with dreams of attending an HBCU, a place where she imagined she would flourish among people who looked like her and shared her cultural background. Instead, she found herself in a predominantly white town, feeling, as she put it, “like a giant sign with neon lights on it wherever I went.”
During Jumpstart week, a white peer reached out and touched her hair because her beads were “so fun, and so pretty.” The moment left her stunned, isolated and certain she would transfer by the end of the year.
What makes Riley extraordinary is what she chose to do next. Rather than withdrawing, she began building the community she could not find. She joined the Black Student Union and the Student Inclusion and Belonging office, then called Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, first as a member, then as freshman representative, then as BSU president, and now as the organization’s student advisor. The advisory role, created with her input, ensures continuity and mentorship across graduating classes.
Through BSU and SIB, Riley helped create a sense of belonging for Black students and other marginalized groups, determined that no one would feel as alone as she once did.
Her leadership extended far beyond titles. She connected the Latinx Student Organization with an affordable DJ, her father, for their Latin Night. She helped the Asian American Student Association secure funding for their end of year celebration when their previous president had not reapplied for a budget. She maintained relationships with alumni owned businesses like Koja’s Cafe and Mama Ti’s to support BSU’s Africa Night, strengthening ties between students and the broader community.
Her advocacy also shaped university decisions. During the 86th Student Government Association session, when some senators dismissed a proposed sensory room as “a waste of money on bean bags,” Riley spoke up. She reminded them that such comments were “not only ignorant but also insensitive to students who struggle with their mental health,” noting that the campus had already lost students to mental health challenges. The request passed. That same year, she was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, and still chose to advocate for a resource she herself needed.
Riley’s impact is equally visible in her creative work. In the photojournalism course, she learned not only how to use a DSLR camera, but how to see. Her portraits honor people’s dignity and complexity, revealing a quiet attentiveness that became the hallmark of her work. What began as an introductory assignment quickly grew into a practice rooted in care, patience and an instinctive understanding of human presence.
That eye for people shaped her work far beyond the classroom. Riley was the driving force behind this year’s Black History Month photo exhibition on campus, guiding the project from concept to installation. She created a space where Black students could see themselves reflected with pride, nuance and joy; a space she once longed for as a freshman.
Her photography reached an even wider audience this spring when she showcased her portrait portfolio at the Society for Photographic Education conference in Atlanta, Georgia. For an undergraduate to present work at SPE is rare; for Riley, it was a moment of affirmation that her artistic voice resonates far beyond River Falls.
She uses her reporting to do the same. Whether behind a camera or behind a notebook, Riley approaches people with the same intention: to witness, to honor, to tell the truth of their experience. That commitment earned statewide recognition this year when she won first prize for her feature news story at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association convention in Madison, a testament to a voice that insists on being heard.
Though she joined the Student Voice only in fall 2025, she quickly became an essential part of the newsroom. Her reporting is narrative driven, centering marginalized voices and emphasizing the power of stories to build empathy and create change. She also organized study sessions for her journalism classmates, helping many earn 80% or higher on their final exam.
Riley’s leadership extends beyond campus as well. She formed a close mentorship with Grace Adofoli, CEO and founder of the Shifting Waters Leadership Institute and a former BSU president. After meeting by chance during a BSU board meeting, the two connected deeply. Adofoli later invited Riley to serve as one of the inaugural writers for SWLI’s blog and eventually asked to become her mentor. They have now worked together for nearly a year, a relationship that reflects Riley’s potential and the way leaders recognize leaders.
Now a senior double majoring in journalism and communications, Riley is graduating as one of this year’s Chancellor’s Award recipients, one of the university’s highest honors for leadership and service. She describes her years at UWRF as “quite a lot of time, quite a lot of new faces, and just overall great memories.”
Her journey, from a student who once planned to leave after one year to someone who now says, “For the first time, I didn’t want to leave,” is a testament to her resilience and her impact. She has not only found a place for herself here; she has helped create a more just and welcoming campus for those who will come after her.
As she looks toward the future, Riley hopes to work in communications while continuing her photography practice. She plans to attend next year’s SPE conference in Minneapolis and explore alternative photographic processes.
Her advice to students is simple: “Take your time to figure out what it is you want to do and who it is you want to be—write it out, cry it out, do what you got to do.”
UWRF won’t be the same without her, but it will continue to grow because of the foundation she helped build.
“Thank you, River Falls,” she said, smiling.