Every club has a storyteller working quietly in the background.

Ours? She’s anything but quiet — and definitely not what you expect.

Today we’re shining light on the girl behind the words and the stories that make Rotaract come alive.

She’s the girl who shows up in a football jersey, grinning ear to ear and ready to play, even though she’ll be the first to laughingly admit she’s “not that good.”

Her belief? You don’t have to be a pro to love the game.

(This is a philosophy we admire, especially since she somehow manages to sprain her leg at tournaments than score a goal, making us all wait patiently for the day she finally starts a game, let alone, lifts a trophy)

So, who is this legend?

Cue the drumroll — and hit ‘Live While We’re Young’ because that’s
what this intro needs.

Meet our Editor for the RI year 25-26 — the one making sure our Rotaract journey is told, remembered and celebrated:

Rtr. Rana Mohammed Rilwan

Spend just five minutes with her and you’ll see the thrill-seeker beneath the calm. She’ll casually tell you about riding bikes and dreaming of racing cars. It’s all part of a quiet mission, of course, to one day say she’s tried every single sport in existence. We’ve given her only one rule, though: no broken bones.

And then there’s her unapologetic obsession with Formula 1. Seriously, if you peek at her phone wallpaper, a certain charming Monegasque racer named Charles Leclerc smiles back at you. That same fierce, race-day energy is what she pours into everything she does in Rotaract — on the field and across campus.

Walk with her between classes and good luck keeping up. I’ve walked around campus with her enough to know it’s a full event. We can’t go ten steps without her stopping to hug or chat with someone. For a card carrying introvert like me, she’s the ultimate cheat code for
meeting new people — thanks for the shortcut, Rana!

And, our networking guru feels bad if someone she knows doesn’t wave back (Pro tip: wave at her if you see her. She’ll wave back twice as big.) 

This friendly and outgoing nature of her’s isn’t just a personality trait; it’s a huge asset for an editor, making her the ideal person to gather stories of our club.

To anyone reading this who has ever been ghosted by her, don’t feel bad. This next part is for you. She’s not ignoring you. She’s just the kind of person who replies to your message in her head and then completely forgets to hit send. But you cannot stay mad at her because she’ll always circle back.

I can honestly say she’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, always wishing the best for those around her. I’ve seen her pause mid-event just to check on someone having a rough day. Even though her Sinhala is mostly a handful of phrases like “na na” and “hrii hrii,” she somehow keeps the conversation flowing — (seriously, teach me your ways!) — and
people love it. Her trademark, non-stop laugh bursts out and pulls everyone else in; I’ve lost count of the times I’ve started laughing just because she was.

A classic overthinker? Absolutely. Chances are she’s already edited this blog 17 times in her mind before it even went live. (Rana, if you’ve made it this far, please stop and keep reading.) What others might call overthinking, we call thoroughness — a trait we’re all incredibly grateful for now that she’s our Editor.

She’s very much a “girl’s girl”, the kind of friend who has your back no matter what. She’s ready to throw hands (metaphorically, of course) if you’re hurt. That quiet strength makes her not just an editor, but an ally and a friend to so many of us — someone you know will always be in your corner.

Beyond her passion for Rotaract, she’s also our resident memory-keeper, you’ll often find her with her phone out, ready to capture everything, especially the sky, which seems to fascinate her endlessly. And her other great love: her collection of bracelets and rings. If she misplaces a piece, you’ll see a flash of genuine terror. She’s not just looking for a piece of jewelry; she’s searching for a piece of her life, and you can tell she won’t be at ease until it’s found.

And because no portrait of Rana would be complete without her pop-culture side: If you’ve ever seen her around campus, you’ve probably already clocked it — her bag practically screams One Direction forever. She carries it everywhere like a badge of honour, and yes, she’s still loyal to them. (Ask her about it and you’ll get a TED Talk. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake before.) It’s one of those little quirks that make her so unmistakably, wonderfully, Rana.

She’s on a mission to capture the story of every single event this RI year, making sure our journey is told, remembered, and celebrated.

Armed with her keen eye for detail, her love of storytelling, and an energy that just won’t quit, I can say from experience: the stories of this year couldn’t be in better hands. Her dedication doesn’t just make her a perfect Editor, it makes her the heartbeat behind the memories we’ll all cherish.

Penned By:

Rtr. Hafsa Rifai

Editorial Committee Member 25.26