Riverside’s Vivian Brennan Personifies Excellence
Meet DPS March Student of the Month Vivian Brennan, champion swimmer, stellar human
Vivian Brennan is a humble superstar. Her principal, teachers, and administrators consider her a Riverside Renaissance Scholar due to her standout showings as an athlete, a student and an overall person.
The swim champion has earned top showings at state-level swim competitions and is known as “a stellar scholar with outstanding academic achievements.” But her human qualities run parallel to her achievements.
“Beyond her athletic and academic success, she is known for her kindness, leadership, and dedication to her peers and community. She demonstrates strong character, balancing her rigorous commitments with grace and determination. Vivian is a role model who embodies the values of hard work, perseverance, and compassion, making her a truly deserving recipient of this honor,” said her principal Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks.
Teacher Seth Stallings is the one who likens Vivian to a modern ‘Renaissance Scholar’.
“She is an academic standout by any measure, a top athlete having achieved both state and national recognition for diving, and an artist both at the piano and with her painting. She is driven yet humble, and she brings her strong character to every interaction such that everything and every person she touches is better from the experience,” said Stallings.
Vivan says she thanks her mother for her character gene, and says her love of reading “is a passion we love to share,” she said.
She adds that her mother was her first teacher. “She has taught me the importance of kindness and empathy, as well as being strong-willed and working hard. She is honest and sincere and demonstrates her values through all of her words and her own actions,” she said.
The multi-talented All-American has been accepted to Princeton University and plans to continue competitive diving while there, then go to medical school to study for a career as a neurosurgeon.
It’s evident that Vivian is determined and undeterred.
“I love learning and challenges, and the idea of bettering myself and overcoming obstacles motivates me to work hard and push myself,” she said.
Vivian returns to her elementary school once and sometimes twice a week before going to Riverside in the mornings to tutor a third-grade class. She enjoys helping, and especially watching the growth of the young charges.
“A success that I am proud of is the progress that I have seen each class make throughout the years,” she said.
Humbly, the 4A Diving State Championship winner– which she considers the biggest accomplishment of her life so far– says she still aims to make progress toward improvement in one particular area of her life herself.
“One challenge for me is not always getting enough sleep, due to being so busy and also wanting to spend time pursuing my non-school and sport-related hobbies, including reading, painting, and playing piano.”
At Riverside, Vivian serves as a Model UN Club leader. She also participates in a number of additional clubs, including Battle of the Books, Science Olympiad, Young Democrats, and National Honor Society.