‘1 in 5’ Episode 9: Meet Sydney Martens
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.
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/7.png)
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.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bridgeport_4-1024x683-1-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bridgeport_4-1024x683-1-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Yoslin-Amya_3-1-768x513.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Yoslin-Amya_3-1-768x513.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eugene-Chrisler_IMG_0040-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eugene-Chrisler_IMG_0040-768x512.jpeg)
![Graphic showing Yoslin Amaya Hernandez against the blue arc of Ascend's brand. Left of her is a photo of her with her daughter, and to her right is a photo of her at a policy meeting.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Untitled-design-30-768x432.png)
![Graphic showing Yoslin Amaya Hernandez against the blue arc of Ascend's brand. Left of her is a photo of her with her daughter, and to her right is a photo of her at a policy meeting.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Untitled-design-30-768x432.png)
![Graphic with text that says "Announcing the 2023-24 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund Partners" and features Ascend's 2023 Parent Advisors against a blue backdrop.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-800-x-400-px-768x384.png)
![Graphic with text that says "Announcing the 2023-24 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund Partners" and features Ascend's 2023 Parent Advisors against a blue backdrop.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-800-x-400-px-768x384.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sydney_Martens-768x512.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sydney_Martens-768x512.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/F5SocialMedia-336-1-768x547.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/F5SocialMedia-336-1-768x547.jpg)
![Graphic featuring a photo of Michaela Martin, Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Ariel Ventura-Lazo, and Dr. Daria Willis.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Copy-of-1in5_BonusEp2_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Graphic featuring a photo of Michaela Martin, Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Ariel Ventura-Lazo, and Dr. Daria Willis.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Copy-of-1in5_BonusEp2_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Headshots of 4 Fellows](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WP_FeatureImage_Fship_Announce-768x503.png)
![Headshots of 4 Fellows](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WP_FeatureImage_Fship_Announce-768x503.png)
![Graphic showing a student's hand holding a graduation cap against a blue background.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-2-768x280.png)
![Graphic showing a student's hand holding a graduation cap against a blue background.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-2-768x280.png)
![Group photo of Ascend Parent Advisors standing outside in Aspen, Colorado with their arms outstretched upward.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pando_Convening_Blog_Cover-768x512.jpg)
![Group photo of Ascend Parent Advisors standing outside in Aspen, Colorado with their arms outstretched upward.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pando_Convening_Blog_Cover-768x512.jpg)
![Graphic featuring headshot photos of Dr. Deana Around Him, Julian Thompson, and David Croom.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Graphic featuring headshot photos of Dr. Deana Around Him, Julian Thompson, and David Croom.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/VXC_Blog_Cover-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/VXC_Blog_Cover-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-1-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-1-768x432.png)
![A collection of different photos featuring Christian Ortiz, his daughter, and his mother](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-15-at-1.34.59-AM-768x367.png)
![A collection of different photos featuring Christian Ortiz, his daughter, and his mother](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-15-at-1.34.59-AM-768x367.png)