Hello, I'm Sydney!

In 2019, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Sport Media. While at I.C., I also double minored in Education Studies and Sport Studies.

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When I look back on my childhood, some of my fondest memories include channeling my inner Candace Parker (Tennessee Lady Vols era) while shooting hoops in my backyard and pretending to be a school teacher to my massive collection of stuffed animals and teddy bears. It is these precious moments that provide understanding for why I chose the academic path I took.

Though I grew up loving the game on and off the court, field, and ice, as a black woman I have had the unfortunate first-hand experience of the many issues that plague the sports world today. From racism to sexism to ableism, the powerful social institution of sport is quite corrupt and broken for it reflects the lack of humanity and respect we have for each other in greater society. These many issues prevent people of various social identities (and sometimes myself) from truly enjoying the game today. This is why I believe education is a necessary social justice tool to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in organized sport and finally end the toxic culture that has existed for decades.

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Currently, I am pursuing my master’s degree at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where I am developing a thesis called, ‘Disrupting the Narrative: The Collision of Social Justice and Sport in the Media.” I  am exploring the ‘performance’ of social justice within the venue of sports and how mass media is portraying Black female athlete-activists in the present day. I want to determine how these media portrayals of Black female athlete-activists correlate and contrast with the realities of Black Americans and impact the identity formation of Black female youth. My ultimate goal is to utilize my passion for critical media literacy and develop a unique way that digital media can be used to promote social justice and racial equity in sport while simultaneously empowering Black girls and women.

Afterward, I plan on getting my Ph.D. in Sports Management and finally launch my social justice consulting firm that will advise individuals, teams, leagues, and sports non-profits with their communication practices and helps them develop professional environments that are diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist. I will also be starting a non-profit,  Transforming the Narrative, which will support black youth athletes in participating and navigating predominantly white sports and becoming more than athletes – but also activists.

 My ultimate purpose in life is to transform the world of sports into one that is just and inclusive of all regardless of race, gender, ability, or socio-economic status - and I’m using education to do it.

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