Career Roadmap
Sydney's work combines: Education, Entrepreneurship, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
University of Florida
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Florida
Graduate Degree
Education, General
University of Florida
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Social and Community Service Managers:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: History, General
Graduate Degree: Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Completed an internship in New Orleans that exposed me to urban poverty & educational inequity.
2.
Studied abroad in Tanzania to expand my worldview & experience life in a "developing" nation.
3.
Started a non-profit, Kujali, to address educational inequities in TZ with a local partner NGO.
4.
Joined Teach For America, taught middle school science in South Central LA, and earned a M.ED.
5.
Moved to TZ to work full-time for Kujali to support our first school launch for orphaned youth.
6.
Was awarded the Skoll Scholarship for Entrepreneurship to attend Oxford University and get an M.B.A.
7.
Returned to the U.S. to work to improve education here at home, finding love & ready to grow roots.
8.
Stumbled upon a chance to help innovate in school model design in the district of my new home city.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
'Those who can't, teach.' In my early twenties, I was discouraged from entering the field of education by some members in my family who believed it was a dead-end career, for people lacking talent and real capabilities. I didn't take it personally!
How I responded:
I knew that my worldview had become very different from that of some of my family: I was passionate about social justice, and I believed deeply that education was a fundamental pathway to building greater equity & opportunity. Should you take advice from people who don't share your values? That never made sense to me. It might disappoint family in the short-term, but it wasn't worth a lifetime of regret. Mary Oliver says it best, "what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Experiencing financial hardship enabled me to learn very important lessons about financial management, budgeting, and discipline. It was tough- getting through college working several jobs, running a nonprofit with limited resources- but so worth it.
I came out to my (very conservative) family & community when I was in my early 20s. There was so much judgment & rejection. I was grateful that I had gone to college and met so many caring, open people who loved & accepted me - it got me through it.