Olivia Bernard
Olivia Bernard
Face Behind the Page: Introducing the Blueprint’s New Co-Editor-in-Chief Olivia Bernard
Face Behind the Page: Introducing the Blueprint’s New Co-Editor-in-Chief Olivia Bernard
Beginning Fall 2026, "The Spelman Blueprint" will welcome Olivia Bernard as its new Co-Editor-in-Chief (Co-EIC), serving alongside Erinn Gardner for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Olivia Bernard is a second-year political science major from Brooklyn, New York, and joined the Blueprint in Fall 2024 as an intern. Bernard started initially focused on the media team, capturing life around campus and later working on reviving "Reflections", the official Spelman College Yearbook.
“I honed in on media because I had a camera and liked taking photos. I had done some writing with yearbook in high school but wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in the room with writers yet. I was one of two interns so I showed up to everything," Bernard said. "I wrote my first story as a staff writer while being an intern in the second semester of my freshman year called ‘Keep Moving From this Mountain.’ I saw a lot of depression and people feeling down on campus. It made me acknowledge that I needed to photograph and write about what was happening around me".
In addition to being Director of "Reflections", Bernard also has five bylines as a staff writer and has strong ties to all Blueprint operations. Bernard’s growth into becoming Co-EIC was not linear, as she faced challenges from Spelman as an institution in her efforts to revive the yearbook.
“Support from the institution has been one of the main challenges of the year. It taught me how to be persistent and work with other student leaders and allowed me to learn and observe the skills I need to advocate for the team moving forward,” Bernard said.
One of the most important responsibilities for the Co-EICs of "The Spelman Blueprint" is to advocate for their team, just as the team advocates for Spelman students and the broader Atlanta community.
“To advocate for the team, you have to have a strong face, mental game, and unshakeable belief in what and who you’re fighting for. I am confident in myself, my voice, and my teammates and maintaining integrity as a journalist means not shying away from challenges and institutional obstacles, but confronting them head on,” Bernard said.
Despite the challenges that "The Spelman Blueprint" has faced this year, the paper continues to expand. The addition of "Expressions", the creative arm of the editorial team, and "Reflections" has given the Blueprint team more ways to express creativity and connect with the broader campus community.
Bernard plans to sustain this positive momentum by preserving as much of the current organization structure and relationships established by the previous Co-EICs, while implementing targeted improvements to workflow and the intern program. Bernard also expressed interest in possibly exploring ways to highlight and connect Spelman alumni with current Spelman students.
Bernard’s experience with "The Spelman Blueprint" extends beyond writing stories or taking photos, having personally and professionally influenced her life.
“The Blueprint broadened my view of the world and what journalism could look like – it was my home away from home. It was through a text from our Co-EIC Blair [Martin] that I learned about the New York Times Corps Program… I was one of 19 students in the country selected for the program and the only Spelman student in the program. That program allowed me to see what working for the Blueprint could look like in the real world as a career,” Bernard said.
Although the Blueprint team is sad to see our current Co-EIC Blair Martin graduate, the team is just as excited to see what Olivia Bernard brings to the future of "The Spelman Blueprint", Spelman College, and the impact she will continue to make beyond the gates of Spelman College.
Beginning Fall 2026, "The Spelman Blueprint" will welcome Olivia Bernard as its new Co-Editor-in-Chief (Co-EIC), serving alongside Erinn Gardner for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Olivia Bernard is a second-year political science major from Brooklyn, New York, and joined the Blueprint in Fall 2024 as an intern. Bernard started initially focused on the media team, capturing life around campus and later working on reviving "Reflections", the official Spelman College Yearbook.
“I honed in on media because I had a camera and liked taking photos. I had done some writing with yearbook in high school but wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in the room with writers yet. I was one of two interns so I showed up to everything," Bernard said. "I wrote my first story as a staff writer while being an intern in the second semester of my freshman year called ‘Keep Moving From this Mountain.’ I saw a lot of depression and people feeling down on campus. It made me acknowledge that I needed to photograph and write about what was happening around me".
In addition to being Director of "Reflections", Bernard also has five bylines as a staff writer and has strong ties to all Blueprint operations. Bernard’s growth into becoming Co-EIC was not linear, as she faced challenges from Spelman as an institution in her efforts to revive the yearbook.
“Support from the institution has been one of the main challenges of the year. It taught me how to be persistent and work with other student leaders and allowed me to learn and observe the skills I need to advocate for the team moving forward,” Bernard said.
One of the most important responsibilities for the Co-EICs of "The Spelman Blueprint" is to advocate for their team, just as the team advocates for Spelman students and the broader Atlanta community.
“To advocate for the team, you have to have a strong face, mental game, and unshakeable belief in what and who you’re fighting for. I am confident in myself, my voice, and my teammates and maintaining integrity as a journalist means not shying away from challenges and institutional obstacles, but confronting them head on,” Bernard said.
Despite the challenges that "The Spelman Blueprint" has faced this year, the paper continues to expand. The addition of "Expressions", the creative arm of the editorial team, and "Reflections" has given the Blueprint team more ways to express creativity and connect with the broader campus community.
Bernard plans to sustain this positive momentum by preserving as much of the current organization structure and relationships established by the previous Co-EICs, while implementing targeted improvements to workflow and the intern program. Bernard also expressed interest in possibly exploring ways to highlight and connect Spelman alumni with current Spelman students.
Bernard’s experience with "The Spelman Blueprint" extends beyond writing stories or taking photos, having personally and professionally influenced her life.
“The Blueprint broadened my view of the world and what journalism could look like – it was my home away from home. It was through a text from our Co-EIC Blair [Martin] that I learned about the New York Times Corps Program… I was one of 19 students in the country selected for the program and the only Spelman student in the program. That program allowed me to see what working for the Blueprint could look like in the real world as a career,” Bernard said.
Although the Blueprint team is sad to see our current Co-EIC Blair Martin graduate, the team is just as excited to see what Olivia Bernard brings to the future of "The Spelman Blueprint", Spelman College, and the impact she will continue to make beyond the gates of Spelman College.