Last year, Principal Carlos Ferralls had a vision. Revamping Doral Academy’s social media, starting a student-run blog, and a podcast. Alongside various talented students, they were able to start a revolutionary space for students to experience the real world of communications. “Basically the concept was that we had an idea a while back to put our students in a position to help other students” Mr. Ferralls explains, “We wanted to showcase our students and everything we are able to do…” The Firebird Digital is a completely independent platform where students have the freedom to write about anything ranging from profiles on students to financial aid help. 

        Led by a past student, Alexis Brotons, she started by gathering a few writers and started doing what she does best. Brotons explains how it all began: “Mr. Carlos Ferralls and Mr. Steve Iglesias had an amazing idea and asked a group of us to be a part of the team, in hopes of making the dream come true. I was asked to be in charge of what would become the FBDigital blog, because of my Newspaper and Yearbook background, and I accepted it with open arms as I saw how amazing the opportunity was. After some time, the FBDigital group and my writers became some of my favorite people! Joining and helping create FBDigital and seeing how wonderful it can be, made my senior year all the more special.” Once she graduated, she passed the job to Sofia Zuniga, who is eternally grateful to have an opportunity to learn and grow in this type of professional environment. Our staff writers include Victoria Rivas, Emily Gutierrez, Richelle Ferguson, Jonas Terleckas, Kassandra Garcia. Ariannie Autie, Renzo Calarota, MariaVictoria Chacon-Briceno, Maria Loo, and Annabella Claro. Recently, we had our first article reach a thousand views, and that shows how far we have come. 

        Of course, this could not have been possible without Sebastian Cavallin, the designer for the website. After being recommended by Professor Michael Crudele, Cavallin began to handle tasks such as registering the domain, developing the website, and more. He is extremely enthusiastic and hopes to continue to help until he graduates.

        The Doral Academy Instagram is currently run by Lauren Bonet and Beatriz Albuquerque along with Clarissa Bullos, Gabriella Behar, and Tamara Palacio. They make every sort of graphic ranging from football score announcements to motivational Monday quotes in order to keep all students updated. “I’ve been apart of FBDigital from the start and to see how far it’s grown makes me so proud. We started with fewer people than you can count on one hand and now have a whole class full of people that are interested and determined to make a difference in our school,” Bonet reminisces, “None of this would have been possible without the support from our administration and especially from Mr. Steve Iglesias and our Principal Mr. Ferralls. Their support is what keeps this program going and will be what keeps it successful in the future.”

        Our Instagram does not only contain photos but also contains short interactive videos, keeping the audience engaged and interested. Michelle Gonzalez, Isabella De La Grana and Aquiles Barreto are always creating original and professional videos for all our platforms. De La Grana explains, “When I create content for the school it forms a sense of community because I can be the voice for other students that need their stories to be heard. When I see people enjoy the content I create on our social media, whether it’s a simple stop motion video or Aquiles [Barreto] talking like a bear, I feel proud to be a part of FBDigital.” 

        We also have photographers who document every event ranging from middle school dances to athletic events. Sabrina Martinez, Carmen Ordonez, and Ihara Gonzalez are constantly taking photos for our blog posts and Instagram, ensuring a clean look. “It allows me to combine my two passions of art and reporting” Martinez expresses, “Photography is a big part of my life so I’m honored to be able to use it to cover events and make sure everyone in our school can be represented as well as shed light on our school to the world throughout our social media and blog.”

        A new and ongoing project is our unique podcast: The Nest. Led and hosted by Cesar Sanchez, this revolutionary addition will be sure to attract various listeners across the nation. Sanchez begins, “The idea for a school podcast has been around for a while and I’m happy to be the one that can finally make it happen.” Although it has been a difficult process, every day they are a step closer. He explains, “There are so many different pieces that have come together; from equipment, to getting the tone we want, and finding the right people to have conversations with, it hasn’t been easy. But we’re getting closer and closer and The Nest is almost ready to go.”

        A recent addition to our platform has been our school’s TikTok managed by Andres Hurtado and Javier Gonzalez. With 29.4k followers, 193k likes, and 995k total views in only a few days, it seems that a school having a TikTok account is something not many people expected. Hurtado states, “I believe that our school is so different because no other school tries to keep up or connect with the students as Doral Academy does, we are always the first school to try something new. So having a TikTok makes our school stand out from others due to the fact that no other high school does it.”

        “They’ve been building on skills they’ve learned in previous courses, all kinds of journalism such as photography, writing, and video production,” Mrs. Jennifer Rizo, the teacher for the course, explains, “It reminds me of the responsibility of what we’re posting.”  “We’re at the forefront,” Mr. Iglesias explains, “It is a field that’s growing and changing every single day. We’re just keeping our same vision of bettering students.” Learning from professionals who visit the classroom, evaluating our audience, and more, its an area of growth and professionalism like no other. Every day, we reach a new milestone and we will continue to do so until students worldwide recognize Firebird Digital as a reliable source to get them through any obstacle. 

Photo Credits: Sabrina Martinez and Ihara Gonzalez