Sydney Young, from Apex, North Carolina, is a 2025–2026 Bridge Year Fellow. She is double-majoring in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in Translation and Interpreting at UNC–Chapel Hill. On campus, Sydney serves as Co-Chair of APPLES Service-Learning Initiative (SLI), leading recruitment, coordinating service projects with local partners, and contributing 60+ hours of direct service to address food insecurity and housing justice in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. She is also an active leader in the American Sign Language Club, where she has taught ASL to more than 50 members, organized cultural events, and previously served as Community Outreach Coordinator and Secretary. She is also a proud Blue Sky Scholar and Scholar Ambassador, engaging with donors and representing UNC’s scholarship community.
Sydney recently studied abroad in Seville, Spain, where she taught English as a Second Language at BLS Idiomas School, leading her own weekly adult classes and also substitute teaching for youth ESL programs. During her bridge year, she will begin in Bali, Indonesia, working with the Besikalung Wildlife Sanctuary; continue in Costa Rica with Hogar Siembra, supporting women and children who are survivors of domestic violence; and conclude in Toronto, Canada, as a volunteer interpreter for deaf senior citizens at Bob Rumball. She hopes to return to UNC with an expanded global perspective and a strengthened commitment to equity, representation, and community service.
Fun Fact: Syd loves Skating!