Gibson Borelli, FCRH ’24, is a man who wears many hats. You may know him as the kid chef from Food Network who appeared on shows such as “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Rachael vs Guy Kids Cook Off” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” You may also follow his TikTok page, Dinner Music, which has amassed over 10,000 followers and holds a collection of videos from recipes inspired by songs and albums, travel content and concert and music festival videos.
While becoming a celebrity chef at 12 years old can be very challenging, Borelli is grateful for the lessons learned from those experiences. “It taught me a lot about making an active effort in always being proactive in getting what you want and to always be your own advocate when it comes to your success. Being shown that you have to really fight for what you want and for your own success has been a really valuable experience to have had that I carry over to this day,” he said.
Additionally, having such an extensive history in the entertainment industry before even starting college, it’s no surprise that Borelli ended up at Fordham and living in New York City. “Growing up in New Jersey, I spent so much time pre-college on NJ Transit coming in and out of NYC. So, to be able to live in NYC has been something I always wanted to do from a really young age,” he said. Aside from the location that Fordham affords him, Gibson was also attracted to the film and television (FITV) major and the opportunities Fordham offers its FITV students just by being situated in one of the entertainment capitals of the world.
Borelli has certainly been able to take advantage of those opportunities. Over the last four years, he interned at companies such as NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery where he was able to work on several shows, including most recently “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” On campus, he is just as busy as he is off campus. He is one of the Concert Committee co-chairs for Campus Activities Board (CAB) and has served in this position since sophomore year, putting on events like the Spring Weekend concert.
Another reason why the FITV major was a big draw for Borelli is because of the unusual educational experience he had in high school. “Before Fordham, I actually went to a culinary high school instead of a normal high school and got a degree in Culinary Arts before I even enrolled in college.” Having experienced the creative side of food television, the FITV major allowed Borelli to gain insight and experience in the business side of things as well.
Despite having these amazing experiences and achieving celebrity status in the food television realm, Borelli remains a humble king. I asked him to describe what an ideal day was for him, expecting it to be filled with crazy and fun experiences around the city. But for Borelli the perfect day is “spending time with people who fulfill me emotionally, getting to walk around in nature with my headphones in listening to music, eating a delicious meal and indulging in a sweet treat (in any order).” This is reflected in his favorite activity at Fordham, “which is sitting on Eddies in the sunshine with some friends, a speaker and some snacks.”
This down-to-earth energy can also be seen in the quotes that inspire Gibson. When asked what sayings influence the way he lives his life, Borelli gave two: “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives” from Annie Dillard, and, “If tomorrow it’s all over at least we had it for a moment” from Florence Welsh. This can be seen in Borelli’s passion for working in the entertainment industry, but also in his prioritization of the relationships in his life. For many, Borelli is a TV personality/celebrity, but for me, Borelli will always be a friend I made by struggling through Spanish 2001 together.
Looking ahead, Borelli is still figuring out post-graduation plans. “I definitely want to work within the film and television industry, but whether that means the food television universe or the late night talk show world is still up for debate.” Regardless of the path he chooses to take, Borelli is aware of the amazing opportunities he has been exposed to because of Fordham. “Without Fordham, I wouldn’t have been able to be in the position to have so many amazing internships, get involved with so many amazing organizations and meet so many amazing people.”
Whatever path Borelli chooses, I’m sure it will be great. For now, he is enjoying life in New York and his senior year at Fordham. You’ll frequently see him wandering around campus with his AirPods while listening to any type of music under the sun. If you do happen to see him on campus, Borelli said, “Don’t be a stranger! I’m friendly, I promise.”
