Brigette Munday may very well be Claremont High School’s own Kathleen Hanna (Hanna being the 90s Riot Grrrl icon). Not only is Munday the lead singer of LunchBox, a young punk band gaining traction at CHS, she and fellow bandmate Ciara Silva have also begun to create a spunky cut-and-paste magazine focused on featuring student art and perspective (fittingly named HotLunch). With the abundance of Munday’s energy geared to personal endeavors, paired with a hurtling senior graduation date, there doesn’t seem to be room for a conventional college pathway in Munday’s near future.

“Around my sophomore year, I realized how much money it would cost to attend a four-year college, and how I just don’t have the personality to go to college… it’s not my thing.” Munday said.

Those words are potentially the highest taboo to be spoken, especially within one of the highest-rated public high schools in Southern California. Munday is well aware of this.

“There’s always a stigma about not going to college, especially in Claremont,” Munday said. ”Parents hold their kids to a higher standard here, because the people that live here generally have better jobs, are more successful, and hold their kids to that same standard.”

Instead of heading to college immediately following graduation, Munday plans to continue working at Albertsons Grocery. Since she was fifteen years old, Munday has been a part of the workforce. She grew up among a family of mechanics and contractors. Her mom fully supports her choice to not attend college, although hopes she will receive a degree someday. Munday hinted at possibly going to trade school and becoming an electrician or contractor, as she is familiar with those trades.

“I’m just going to keep the job I have, but go further with my band and other artistic endeavors,” Munday said.“I’ve been in the workforce for a long time and I honestly enjoy it more than school.”

Artistically, Munday focuses on her band Lunchbox and her HotLunch magazine as an outlet to express her thoughts and cope with personal emotions. Munday is heavily inspired by Riot Grrrls’ own Kathleen Hanna, a 90s feminist who began her career with spoken word poetry.

“I started off just by writing poems, and someone told me that I should write songs. I feel like [Kathleen Hana] and I started off in the same way,” Munday said. “Seeing how much she’s done for people and the punk community as a whole is extremely inspiring and motivating.”

Overall, Brigette Munday is passionate and confident about her unconventional future.

“I’m extremely excited for graduation,” Munday said.” I’ve been looking forward to graduating since freshman year.”