The televised awards ceremony was the culmination of a busy week for the social studies concentrator. The day after presenting technical Emmy awards at a smaller ceremony last in New York, Riegel returned to Harvard on May 13 to take part in the “BJ Show,” a student-run variety show that served as a fundraiser for the Phillips Brooks House Association.

Then it was back to New York for five straight days of shooting.

“The whole week has been pretty surreal,” Riegel said, adding that she expected to be back at work at 7 a.m. this morning.

With her contract yet to run out and her character a major player in the ongoing storyline of “All My Children,” Riegel said she intends to continue her work on the soap. However, she said she plans to “look into theater” should her schedule open up.

And Harvard remains solidly in Riegel’s future, she insists.

“I definitely want to get my degree,” she said. “It’s very important to me.”

In the meantime, “All My Children” will continue to command Riegel’s attention. But while acting is her focus, Riegel said she would not mind another trip to the Emmys.

“It was such a fun night,” she said.

—Staff writer Nathan K. Burstein can be reached at burstein@fas.harvard.edu.