Sydney Linford is an aspiring graphic designer and mental health advocate. She graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in May 2024 with a Bachelors of Art. Sydney majored in Visual Arts & Technology with a concentration in Graphic Design, and minored in Computer Science.
During her time at Stevens, Sydney was a Lawrence T. Babbio Pinnacle Scholar and a sister of Theta Phi Alpha. During her time as a sister, she held the positions of Recruitment Chair (2022-2023), Assistant Social Chair (2023-2024), Recruitment Counselor (2024), Apparel Chair (2021 & 2023), Public Relations Assistant (2021), and Standards Board (2021). Sydney also established and led the pilot program of Neon Nights at Stevens, as Sponsorship Chair (2022-2023) and President (2023-2024). Under the direction of Sydney as President, Neon Nights was established as a new organization on Stevens campus, supporting youth mental health initiatives and the Jed Foundation, a national 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for mental health. Sydney is also an Ambassador for Rare Impact, Rare Beauty's mental health awareness initiative, and exhibited her mental health focused capstone project at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, NJ on April 11th 2024.
Sydney has worked as a marketing and public relations assistant for a local food delivery business, and worked as a research assistant at Stevens in 2021, 2022, and 2023. As a summer researcher, she designed art and user interface assets for an educational video game under the supervision of Professor Alex Wellerstein, designed an artist website under the supervision of Professor Lainie Fefferman, and designed an interactive web-based map under the supervision of Professor Nancy Nowacek.
Sydney is originally from Long Island, New York, where she graduated from Commack High School in May of 2020. During her time at Commack High School, she served as the Editor in Chief of Etchings Art & Literary Magazine (2018-2020) and the Advocacy and Community Outreach Chairperson for Commack Esports (2019-2020). During her senior year, Sydney, along with a fellow classmate, created a website entitled "Mack Commits" which transformed the Commack tradition of signing college pennants into the virtual world during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Sydney graduated in the top cohort with an International Baccalaureate diploma.
Post graduation, Sydney resides in Fairfield, CT, and is looking to start her career as a graphic designer and continue working as a mental health advocate. Currently, Sydney works as a Graphic Design Intern at Stamford Health. During her free time, Sydney enjoys exploring all of the thrift stores Connecticut has to offer, designing unique t-shirts for her sorority and other events, and seeing Broadway and local theatre shows. Sydney is passionate about mental health, and continues to work with the JED Foundation and Rare Impact to raise awareness and funds for mental health initiatives.
