July 23, 2025
Brianna Sylvain: Constantly Learning
By John Myers
By Jojo Varughese
Brianna is a Brooklyn-raised, charismatic, natural-born team member. Communication has been a skill and passion of hers for as long as she can remember. She utilizes these skills in her everyday activities; being a part of a competitive swim team, one of the head editors of her school newspaper, and being a member of the Nation Fund’s youth journalism fellowship. Fitting her skills and interests, she aspires to work in the journalism industry.
“I think I was always interested in communicating,” she said, reflecting on the origins of her drive. “From a young age, I always liked telling jokes and being silly, getting a reaction out of people. As I got older I found that writing is a great medium to use those communication skills and foster connections. ”
With a deep passion for connecting, learning, and communicating, Brianna takes time and any opportunity to learn more and gain broader knowledge. Having always loved reading and writing, she draws inspiration from various articles, publishers, and writers, reading out of interest and curiosity.
“Sometimes I’ll read an article in publications like the New York Times or Vogue—those are my favorites—I feel like I just learn so much. I’m ready to have an impactful discussion about what I just read, and those writers are the kind of people I look up to the most, because that’s the kind of impact I want to have.”
Determined to have an impact on the people surrounding her, Brianna also values being a strong motivator for others. She stated: “Being around people who are just as driven as you are is really helpful when it comes to accomplishing your goals.” This was reflected in my conversations with her friends, Neeka and Ally. They both had so much to say about Brianna’s drive, her intellect, and the pure inspiration that they get from being around her. Neeka noted, “I’ll often find her studying or catching up on her classes in the library, and this never fails to motivate me.” Similarly, Ally said, “She genuinely inspires me to become a better person because of how much she cares for everything and everyone and how she puts ideas into action.” Whether or not she’s fully aware of it, Brianna’s determination and drive is deeply admired by her friends. This aspiration to impact those around her is already happening, as her connection with others has inspired them and left a lasting impression.
Brianna remarked, “I try to be all of my friends’ biggest hype person—I’ll walk up and down the lanes during swim meets and I’ll cheer really loudly for my teammates because that builds morale and brings the team together, but it also makes the person who you’re cheering for or supporting feel really special, and that definitely shows in their performance.”
Giving so much motivation to others while juggling many responsibilities—swimming, school, newspaper, can be a lot. It requires self-discipline and self-motivation. When asked about her own motivation, Brianna responded, “I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself, sometimes I reap the benefits of that because I’ll get my work done and the outcomes that I want, but sometimes it’s just me being the most toxic person in my life and stressing myself out.” For Brianna, pushing through with stress like this shows determination and strength, being able to maintain close friendships, extracurricular activities, and hobbies.
As she is only a sophomore in high school, Brianna has a vast future ahead of her, with many winding, splitting paths. With so many different interests, and the versatility of the journalism field, there’s a lot of flexibility, opportunity, and a pressure for greatness. Some things are clear though. Brianna will continue to exercise her literacy to the max, learn and absorb information, gain inspiration from unique sources, and redistribute that same inspiration and motivation to the people around her, solidifying her impact on the world.
