Rihanna delights at Harvard recognition

NEW YORK: Rihanna never went to college but the R&B superstar voiced delight as she was presented an award by Harvard University for her humanitarian work.

"So I made it to Harvard! Never thought I would be able to say that in my life, but it feels good," a beaming Rihanna said to students´ cheers at the prestigious US university Tuesday evening.

Harvard named the 29-year-old singer its Humanitarian of the Year, pointing to her projects that include an advanced center to treat breast cancer in her native Barbados and support for girls´ education around the developing world.

Rihanna said she had set up her first charity at age 18 and remarked: "People make it seem way too hard, man."

"You don´t need to be rich to help someone, you don´t need to be famous, you don´t even need to be college-educated," she said, while joking that she wished she were.

"I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person, one organization, one situation that touches your heart," she said.

"My grandmother always used to say, ´If you got a dollar, there´s plenty to share.´"

Rihanna, who was discovered by a music executive while still a teenager, has also set up a scholarship program named after her grandparents for Caribbean students in the United States.