Class of 2022
Sydney Albert is studying psychology, education, and completing the child policy research certificate. She is passionate about addressing education inequities, and ensuring that every child has access to a quality and equitable education. Sydney intends to write a thesis on exploring the implications of dominant historical narratives perpetuated through textbooks and curriculum, focusing on the portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. During her time at Duke, Sydney has engaged with education in a variety of ways. She volunteered as a team member with JumpStart, implementing literacy and social-emotional curricula in preschool classrooms in Durham. She performed quantitative and qualitative data research for Rebound, Alternatives for Youth, which aims to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline in Durham. Additionally, she worked as an Equity Fellow with Children Now during Summer 2020, performing outreach to community members throughout California to build a coalition of pro-kid partners. Sydney also worked as a Research Assistant in the Gaffrey Lab, which focused on connecting early experiences to the developing brain and its consequences on mental health. She plans to work as an elementary school teacher, and use critical pedagogy within her classroom to inspire her students to challenge the world around them. Sydney also hopes to one day work at an education think tank, advocating for research-based policy changes to the US educational system. Sydney is from Bethesda, Maryland.