NBC 5 Anchor Bianca Castro Gives Expert Advice to Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Students
Bianca Castro, co-anchor for NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth, who recently spoke to more than 60 medical students as part of the Burnett School of Medicine’s brand ambassador program.
FORT WORTH – When speaking to a journalist, it’s important just to be yourself.
“I interview a lot of patients. Of course, my expert will always be the medical professional. If you are the expert, just be real,” said Bianca Castro, co-anchor for NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth, who recently spoke to more than 60 medical students as part of the Burnett School of Medicine’s brand ambassador program.
Castro emphasized the importance of explaining complex research or medical conditions as if you were “talking to a friend.”
During a media interview, “it’s about having a conversation. You don’t have to perfect or sound perfect,” Castro said. “Ultimately, I want you to look good and feel good. I will only use the best parts.”
In its seventh year, the Burnett Brand Ambassadors program has grown to 36 medical students who were selected to serve during the 2026-27 academic year. The program is run by the Office of Communication and Strategy at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University.
“The best way to tell the story of our novel medical school is through the experiences of our medical students,” said Maricar Estrella, MBA ’25, Director of Digital Development and Content Strategy at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, who founded the program.
The award-winning program trains medical students to represent the medical school in media interviews as well as marketing and social media campaigns. The students also attend special events and give reports or speeches about the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.
The 2026-27 Burnett Brand Ambassadors are:
Class of 2027: Ashley Kenney, Nico Martinez, Angel Sheu, Whitney Stanton, Jeanine Williams, Iza Zabaneh
Class of 2028: Emily Bogordos, Raika Bourmand, Nicholas DeVito, Marisa Fat, Ava Hekmati, Bijan Hosseini, Sylvia Inkindi, Zacharia Ismaio, Martha-Grace McLean, Thien An Nguyen, Jenny Pham, Stephen Pullman, Jonah Schmitz
Class of 2029: Isabela Agu Maluli, Madeline Belknap, Matthew Chang, Kate Myers, Sereen Osman, Arvind Ramakrishnan, Jenna Williamson, Brandon Wolfson
Class of 2030: Nicholas Chu, Tatum Hall, Luke Homfeldt, Elizabeth James, London Kasper, Mira Mehra, Ashley Mims, Molly Nosal, Sidney Tran
Faculty, staff and students evaluate applications to the program, which is voluntary.
The program has grown to include media training from local journalists such as CBS 11 Investigative Reporter Andrea Lucia, NBC 5 Sports Director Newy Scruggs, EMBA ‘23, and social media influencers such as J Mack Slaughter, Jr., M.D., an emergency medicine physician.
In 2023, the Burnett Brand Ambassadors Program received a Circle of Excellence Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The program also received CASE Best of District IV honors.