Shell Collecting, Sunshine and a Return to UVA Roots
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies is thrilled to have recently welcomed Sydney Thomas as a Recruitment Coordinator. A proud "Double Hoo," Sydney holds both a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a Master’s in Education from the University of Virginia.
Bringing admissions experience from Brown University and the Miller School of Albemarle, Sydney returns to her alma mater with a passion for helping working adults navigate their educational journeys. Sydney sat down with us to share a bit about her background, her love for shell collecting and her new life in Southwest Florida. Read on to get to know Sydney!
Give us a little overview of your background.
I grew up in Maryland and moved to Virginia for college at UVA! I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology and my master’s degree in education. I lived in Charlottesville for almost 10 years and absolutely love the area, but I’ve since moved to Southwest Florida and live with my fiancé and our dog and two cats.
What do you like to do for fun?
One of my favorite activities is going to the beach and searching for shells! My favorite beaches are on Sanibel Island and Captiva Island. I love to spend a free day finding new treasures and floating in the water. I spend a lot of time cleaning my shells and using them to make crafts and art. In my other free time and most days before work you can find me walking in my neighborhood or a local park while listening to an audiobook. I also love hiking, which is a great reason to return to Charlottesville or take a trip out West. My fiancé and I enjoy going to sporting events, concerts, and restaurants together.
What has your career journey been like so far?
After I finished my master’s degree, I started my career in high school admissions at the Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville. I was drawn to Miller as it reminded me of my own high school experience at St. Timothy’s School in Maryland. I enjoyed helping students and families through the admissions process and seeing their success in the individualized academic program and other unique activities that the school offered. After a few years, I decided to move into higher education, and I got a new job at Brown University in the School of Professional Studies. This role was more behind the scenes in master’s admissions specifically, and I learned a lot from my colleagues about admissions operations and application systems. I was interested in advancing my career in a way that I could utilize aspects from both positions, which brought me to UVA!
Talk about your role at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
What attracted you to this position? What are you most excited about? I’m thrilled to be a recruitment coordinator at UVA SCPS! I have relevant experience in this type of work, but I was also majorly drawn to the position because I’m a Double Hoo! I love UVA, so when I was offered the job, it was an easy decision to accept. I’m excited to work with a diverse group of applicants and support the the School's mission of providing accessible education for working adults to advance their careers and reach their goals.