Bianca Corgan is the Silver Knight nominee for journalism for Gulliver Prep. Corgan is the editor-in-chief for the school newspaper. She’s been on the staff since her sophomore year and became editor just a year later, which is a testament to her ability.
“It is unusual, the way the system works the previous editor and sponsor decide on the editor in chief based on performance in the academic year,” Corgan says.
Corgan and her co-editor made dramatic changes, taking the newspaper from a printed publication to one that is completely digital and then back to print.
“We found our student body much prefer the paper copies so we brought the paper back this year,” she says. “On the digital, there are more frequent events. Things that the writers could pick on overnight. We publish every four to five weeks so they are more long term events.”
The paper received a gold medal from the Colombia Scholastic Press last year. Corgan loves writing opinion pieces. She’s not afraid to take on tough topics but likes features as well.
“I wrote an opinion about the Ferguson riots,” she says. “I respect other people’s opinion, I’m a little more reserved, but I’m opinionated. I really enjoy expressing my opinion to these people.
She’s also written pieces about Gulliver’s school uniform policy. She’s also written about entertainment and sports.
“I tried journalism because I love to write,” she says. “I love that I can interact with different people in my community and do what I love.”
Last year, she was editor-in-chief of the literary magazine.
“It was all student produced, the writing and artwork,” she says.
Whether she goes on to a career in journalism is still a question.
“Right now, I’m not sure what I want to do with my life,” she says. “I know I want to participate in college. “Maybe journalism or maybe law. It’s between those two fields.”
She’s already been admitted to Florida International University and she’s applied to the University of America, the University of Miami, New York University and Emory.
While finishing her senior year at Gulliver, Corgan will participate on the varsity tennis team, and participate in the Cum Laude Society and French Honor Society. She will also compete in more Model United Nation events.
“I love history and writing. I also love American government and American politics,” she says. “Model UN has allowed me to delve deeper into that field.”
Corgan is in the Sustained Dialogue organization, a chance to talk to others at school about important issues of the day, including race relations in the U.S. and sexism.
“Not only as a national issue but here at school,” she says.
She believes the discussions help.
“Going to a school like Gulliver provides a different prospective,” she says. “I’m in IB and a lot of my classmates are not from the US. It’s a diverse group of kids. It gives us a bigger perspective and more diversity.”
Corgan grew up in New York and also lived in a small town in New Jersey.
“It’s interesting to see the differences and perspectives,” she says.
Corgan’s volunteer work revolves around tennis.
Her freshman and sophomore year, she coached four to 12 year children in tennis at Coral Reef Park. The last two years, she’s coached at Friends of Miami Tennis.
“I do the same thing, working with mostly the younger kids, allowing them to not only learn the game but have fun as well,” she says.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
