Sydney Shines as SI Leader, Embedded and Professional Tutor

Like so many students, Sydney began her ICC journey during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she says was a “difficult experience,” as she was unable to form close relationships with her classmates or professors in online classes.

By her second year, Sydney excelled in her studies and sought opportunities to become more engaged on campus, she became a Supplemental Instructor (SI), Embedded Tutor, and Professional Tutor for the Academic Success Center. She credits her success to engaging instructors like Lisa Whitehead, who, even in online classes, helped support Sydney and boost her confidence as a leader.

I chose ICC because of its excellent reputation for quality education and the considerable cost savings.

Sydney Sales

Sydney intends to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and says being a Supplemental Instruction leader compliments her education because she is able to “learn so much about different learning types and study strategies.” She feels ICC and her tutoring experience have prepared her for her future because “on top of basic medical care, nurses are tasked with educating patients.”

In addition to these savings, Sydney was a recipient of the $2,000 Dorothy W. Herm Endowed Scholarship at ICC and the $5,000 Dr. Rita’s Kids Scholarship at OSF College of Nursing where she is pursuing her BSN.

Sydney has big plans for her future, and she says both ICC and her family were foundational in helping her build toward that dream. She says, poignantly, “At the end of my life, I would like to be able to look back and say I made a positive impact on the lives I touched and that I made a difference in the world.”