Physician Assistant
Throughout the 2024–2025 academic year, Sydney remained actively engaged in several clubs and organizations both on FSU’s campus and within the Tallahassee community. Her involvement reflects a strong commitment to academic enrichment, service, and professional development—especially within the healthcare field. Sydney has been a dedicated member of the Pre-Physician Assistant Club, where she participated in meetings, networking events, and workshops aimed at preparing students for PA school. She is also a proud member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), a national pre-health honor society, through which she has engaged in service activities and academic events that support her career aspirations. In addition to her campus involvement, Sydney participated in Dance Marathon where she was stood and danced for 20 hours for the children at UF's Shands hospital who are not able to live the life of a "normal" child. This has shaped Sydney's experience at FSU and has provided insight to all aspects of life, this is something she will continue to do for her next three years at FSU. She also began volunteering with Big Bend Hospice, where she supports patients and families during end-of-life care—an experience that has further solidified her passion for compassionate, patient-centered medicine. These experiences have enriched her academic journey and strengthened her desire to serve others through healthcare.
Any kind of pasta
Sydney’s research interests span several interdisciplinary fields, reflecting her commitment to understanding complex issues at the intersection of science, health, and society. She is particularly drawn to topics related to public safety and criminology, with a focus on how systemic factors, mental health, and access to care influence criminal behavior and community well-being. Her interest in biology and healthcare stems from a desire to explore the physiological and molecular foundations of health, disease, and treatment, especially within underserved populations. Additionally, psychology plays a central role in her academic focus, as she is fascinated by the connection between cognitive processes, behavior, and emotional resilience. Sydney is passionate about research that bridges these fields to inform more effective, compassionate approaches to public health and policy. By integrating biological sciences with social understanding, she hopes to contribute to meaningful advancements in both society and healthcare through research. Sydney participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at Florida State University under the mentorship of Dr. Keller Sheppard. Her research, conducted internally at FSU, focused on a project titled “Understanding Assaults on the Police: A Systematic Review on the Strength, Limitations, and Future of National Data Sources for Empirical Research.” This project involved critically evaluating major national databases used to study assaults on law enforcement officers, identifying gaps in data quality, reporting consistency, and accessibility. Sydney analyzed how these limitations affect the validity of empirical research and what improvements are necessary for future studies to better inform public safety policy. This experience deepened her understanding of the intersection between criminology, public health, and policy analysis. Moving forward, the project’s findings may guide recommendations for more standardized and comprehensive data collection, with the potential to shape future research and improve officer and community safety outcomes.