“I’ve always thought that trying new things is its own sport.” states this Fountain Valley School of Colorado Junior. Holding a 3.96 GPA, Briona has never felt the need to be one specific person. She has always wanted to be a doctor and understands the importance of seeing women and people of color in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.) She has been in numerous STEM camps and loves that doctors can help to save lives. However, Briona is a plethora of talents outside of the sciences! She started modeling in commercials and photo shoots at just the age of 10-, including runway. Just this past summer, she competed in her first pageant and won Miss Teen Colorado Springs. She went on to compete in Teen Miss Rocky Mountain and won that regional title as well! She will soon head to Orlando to compete for the National title.

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In addition to modeling, Briona has shown her passion for giving back to her community. She has participated in community clean-ups and other forms of sustainable service. Her most recent project has been starting foster care transfer bags.  She makes backpacks full of necessities based on the age and gender of the child being transferred into a new foster home. These can include anything from toiletries and clothes to toys and school supplies. Briona has also had a significant impact on her school. She came into Fountain Valley School of Colorado as only one of two black students. Seeing the need to recruit more black students and ensuring to provide a safe space for them, she created their first Black Student Union! Briona has also worked with admissions to ensure that they travel to recruit more black students. They’ve successfully recruited seven black students just in this year alone. She recently filmed her first documentary and showcased it at Colorado College: “Not To Be Denied,” a documentary on the black experience in private schools. She is hoping that her documentary will make it on screen to a larger audience soon.

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Academically, Briona has continued to excel. She has written books through her mom’s school program and hopes to publish her own one day. Briona has also been learning Mandarin because her teacher has created a very welcoming environment as a way to connect Briona to her Asian roots as well. She will be traveling to Singapore and Malaysia in the Spring! Briona has an appreciation for learning about other cultures and expanding her knowledge of the world. She hopes to attend an HBCU that will give her both the environment and education to accomplish her goals in life. We are so proud of Briona and look forward to seeing her at AAYLC 2024!