Sydney graduated from the Geography & Sustainability program in May 2024 with a BA in Sustainability and a minor in Public Health. She is an environmental educator with over 4 years of experience with Nature Camp and East Tennessee Environmental Educators, and currently works as an elementary school teacher in her hometown of Richmond, VA. Beyond education, Sydney is passionate about aquatic ecology, conservation and research, specifically pertaining to freshwater mussels. Sydney discovered her passion for research in Knoxville while working under Dr. Colby and Dr. McKinney, and cultivated her interest in aquatic ecology when interning for PhD candidate, Dana Mills. This summer, Sydney will begin an MS Environmental Science program at Troy University in Alabama. She will be working as a Graduate Research Assistant on a dam removal project on the Pea River in Elba, AL. Not only will she lead the Education & Outreach for the project, but she will also lead the biological assessments for freshwater mussels. Sydney is excited to continue her education at the graduate level and continue to share her passion for research, education, and conservation with others!