Not many first-year college students step onto campus with a list of accomplishments quite like Sydney Young’s. During high school, Young spent a summer at Harvard University studying American Sign Language, political science and law. She won awards for her writing and poetry, including for a memoir that explored her complex relationship with a family member suffering with addiction and mental health struggles. She even earned a taekwondo black belt and won a state championship for sparring, weapons and form.
After earning an application fee waiver that enabled her to apply to Carolina, she was admitted and then discovered that she had been selected as a Blue Sky Scholar. For Young, learning that she had been chosen for the program gave her a range of feelings that included relief, affirmation and gratitude.
“I never thought I’d be here, to be honest with you,” Young said. “I’m capable of being here because of the scholarship, I’m so relieved and proud of myself because I worked very hard. And I’m grateful, truly. I’m just so grateful for the experience, for the opportunity. For someone to have given that to me, for someone to take something from themselves to give me an opportunity to be here — I can’t even explain how grateful I truly am.”
Young is making the most of the opportunities Carolina offers. She is pursuing a double major in political science and Romance languages with a minor in translation and interpreting. She competes with the competitive taekwondo team and is an executive member of the ASL Club board. In the summer of 2024 she served as summer orientation advisor at UNC-Chapel Hill and is working in the registrar’s office in the fall. Blue Sky Scholars Program mentors and advisors have helped her connect with many opportunities.
“Knowing that they’re accessible and always there makes me feel supported,” Young said. “If you need them to guide you or help you or provide you with opportunities, resources, internships, study abroad opportunities, you can go to them. It’s great to have that connection through the program.”
(Top photo by Jen Hughey/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Related Stories
