An avid student in the IB Program, co-captain of the Enloe Women’s tennis team, president of Mock Trial, and an active participant in her community, Daniella Biblin has a lot on her resume. Yet, she does not shy away from embodying an inviting personality and sharing time with those around her.
Within her education, Daniella is not only a scholar, but an involved student in the IB Program, and feels the experience has greatly influenced her educational path. “Academically, it’s a very multidisciplinary program, and you have the chance to explore different avenues.” She believes the IB Program has encouraged her to take classes she would not have otherwise, such as exploring a path in physics. “Following your curiosity and taking classes that you might be interested in is really important, rather than you’re sticking to what you might be used to,” Daniella advises. She is a well-rounded student and believes that branching out and practicing curiosity will prove to be beneficial in the end. “In high school, we’re so rich in time, so we can be slightly frivolous with what we do and what we explore,” Daniella explains. “I feel like when you come to Enloe, there’s so many opportunities, and it’s up to you to make the most of them.” Daniella’s accomplishments in the classroom have left a profound impact on those around her. Daniella’s friend Mary Garland can speak to her success in the IB setting, “She has a really great mind for … analyzing and thinking beyond just what the notes give us.”
The IB Program is notorious for its difficulty, but Daniella believes the social aspect is what strengthens it. Since entering the program her junior year, she has become very involved in the IB community. “[The IB Program] brings together students who might not ever have become friends just because you’re taking classes together,” Daniella shares. The IB Program enables students to explore specific topics and classes alongside others with common interests, especially on a smaller scale than Enloe’s seemingly large student body. “It’s really powerful to have that community.”
Daniella is not solely a student focused on her education. She has been an avid tennis player since the age of five, and still strongly pursues that passion today. She has been a part of the Enloe women’s tennis team for all four years of high school, and a team captain for the past three years. For Daniella, tennis is an outlet, a place where she can block out distractions and focus solely on the sport. She explains, “Finding what makes you feel like you’re the best version of yourself is really important. And at the tennis courts, that’s always been something for me.”
Overall, tennis can present as an individualized sport, especially when you’re competing on your own. Yet, as co-captain, Daniella has strived to unite the team and act as a leader for her teammates, both on and off the tennis court. Currently, Daniella is co-captain with fellow teammate Tiffany Ye, a junior who has been Daniella’s teammate for three years. “She’s really funny and super sweet,” explains Tiffany. “She gets along really well with everyone on the team. I think a lot of people look up to her.”
Outside of school, Daniella pursues her passion for tennis by working with a student-run nonprofit organization that offers tennis lessons to students from low-income families, ages six to twelve. Daniella is currently president of the organization and orchestrates much of the nonprofit’s planning, training, and obtaining of resources the students need to practice and compete in tennis tournaments. Regarding her work with the nonprofit, Daniella says, “I really enjoy that aspect of teaching something that gave me so much confidence, and helping pass the confidence on.”
Daniella is not only a leader on the tennis court but is also president of Enloe’s Mock Trial club. She joined the club as a freshman and became the club’s president junior year. She enjoys the club’s public speaking aspect, as well as the competitions. “[Competitors] work so hard to present their cases, so it makes me want to be a more confident person,” Daniella comments.
Originally, Daniella joined Mock Trial with the intention of eventually pursuing a profession in law. Since then, she has changed her career path but has remained dedicated to the club. “I realized that law is very restricted by a rigid structure and by precedent, and I decided that I would rather take a career path where I’m able to rewrite the rules.” Even though a career in law does not provide Daniella with such creative freedom, she has learned valuable skills in presentation. “A big part of curiosity is understanding that there’s lessons you can take away, even if it’s not the next direct step in the natural process,” Daniella adds.
Daniella has also explored the field of Education Innovation. She is currently involved in a startup dedicated to fostering a technology platform designed to strengthen the connection between students and counselors, particularly in rural areas. Regarding her interaction with the startup, Daniella remarks, “I really like working in the startup world, where you’re creating something that doesn’t exist.”
As one of her closest friends, Mary knows how to best capture Daniella’s essence, “She’s very, very ambitious, but she’s also very, very caring.” We can see the impact Daniella has left on Enloe’s landscape—on her fellow classmates, as well as the women’s tennis team. She intends to carry everything she has learned during her time at Enloe into her own future, as she will be attending Harvard University and majoring in Economics. The Eagle’s Eye wishes her luck as she advances to college and beyond!
