1st Place, Sports News Story
2025-26, Division 1, News Writing
By Paige Bierlein
BHS Times
Brighton HS
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, Brighton High School’s girls volleyball program beat Northville at the varsity, junior varsity and freshman levels. The Brighton varsity volleyball team competed in pink jerseys to support Pink Week, an annual schoolwide event dedicated to raising awareness and fundraising for breast cancer treatment and prevention. The pink jerseys were more than just a stylistic choice; they represented all of those who are fighting cancer, those who have lost the battle and those who have survived—including one of the girls on the court.
Brighton’s junior middle blocker, Cynthia Ockerman, gave a touching speech before the game about her cancer journey with Wilms tumor, a type two kidney cancer that she had as a young child, and the general importance of Pink Week.
“Pink Week is a time to celebrate the people who have survived cancer… a week where it reminds me of it all, but also reminds me of the joys and to be grateful. The fact that I survived,” Ockerman said.
Ockerman’s journey with cancer began at a young age and had effects lasting into her early childhood.
“She was diagnosed at 22 months, and we had treatment until she was about three years old… she had really bad neuropathy [couldn’t feel the bottom of her feet],” said Christine Ockerman, Cynthia’s mother. “So, she actually had to learn to walk again.”
Since then, Ockerman has made a remarkable recovery from her battle with cancer. She went from not being able to walk to excelling at the sport she loves–volleyball. Her perseverance, dedication and talent have allowed her to earn a full-ride athletic scholarship to Clemson University for the fall of 2027.
Not only is she a powerful player, but she is loved among her teammates.
“She’s there to calm me down and [is] someone that you can lean on when you need it,” senior middle blocker Kate Mogelnicki said.
Brighton’s varsity head volleyball coach, Andrew Woo, had more positive words about Ockerman.
“She pulls her teammates up with her, and she brings a level of standard in the gym that not very many of our players can do,” Woo said. “I love the part about her where she values life, she values her journey and she values her faith, which is really cool.”
People who are surrounded by Ockerman recognize her work ethic and her outlook on life.
“She wants to be an inspiration to younger people who have cancer, who have had cancer, that maybe think that they’re not capable of achieving more in life, like going to public school, like playing a sport, excelling at a sport,” Christine said. “No matter what it is, she just wants to make sure that the younger kids know that there’s no limits…if that had to be her motto, it would just be ‘no limits.’”