'1 in 5' Episode 9: Meet Sydney Martens - Ascend at the Aspen Institute

Sydney is currently a pre-law student. She spends most of her free time with her 22-month-old daughter Amiyah, painting, going for walks, and spending time with friends and family.

Sydney Martens is originally from Minneapolis, but moved to Austin, Texas in June of 2020 to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Pre-Law at Texas State University.

Out of high school, Sydney was recruited to Finlandia University for volleyball and basketball, but had to make a career change after injuries halted her plans to pursue a professional basketball career.

In addition to her studies, Sydney is a volunteer legal advocate for incarcerated people facing excessive sentences for their convictions. She is passionate about community organizing related to social justice and racial equity, and is involved with Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, a Minneapolis-based organization designed to support families who have lost someone at the hands of law enforcement.

Listen

You can read the episode transcript here.

Resources

Jeremiah Program offers one of the nation’s most successful strategies for transforming families from poverty to prosperity two generations at a time.

ECMC Foundation is a national foundation working to improve postsecondary outcomes for students from underserved backgrounds.

Developed by the WNY Women’s Foundation, the MOMs: From Education to Employment® model incorporates case management, academic-success coaching, mentoring, peer-to-peer community building, career guidance, internship and job placement support, and campus cultural awareness building.