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Pop singer Rihanna has another feather in her cap. This time it’s not related to music but for her philanthropic work.

The eight-time Grammy winner brought her signature brand of charm on the stage while receiving the Harvard Foundation award for Humanitarian of the Year.

Even the Harvard College dean, Rakesh Khurana, admitted to being starstruck during his introduction: “I’m just like, ‘Whoaaaaa!’”

Rihanna swished her hair, struck a pose and said, “So I made it to Harvard,” drawing a massive cheer from the gathered crowd. She gave a poignant speech, sending out a message of hope in a time of despair.

“At 17 I started my career here in America, and by the age of 18, I started my first charity organisation,” said Rihanna in her speech, “Fast forward to 2012 and then my grandmother, the late Clara Brathwaite, she lost her battle with cancer, which is the very reason and the driving force behind the Clara Lionel Foundation.”

Robyn Rihanna Fenty – Rihanna’s official name – has been involved in several philanthropic efforts, including building a centre for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer in her native country, Barbados.

Although she didn’t attend college herself, Rihanna hinted that there’s always the possibility she’ll try some further education.