‘1 in 5’ Episode 9: Meet Sydney Martens
April 12, 2021 | Aspen Postsecondary Success for Parents, Press Releases
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.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
We’ve selected four projects from the 2021 Class of Fellows that show impressive potential in both their scope and capacity to address timely issues.Â
In an Inside Higher Ed article, David Croom and Generation Hope provide important perspective into why the student parent population is important for higher education institutions to prioritize.
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Growing up, Isis Patterson and her family were constantly operating in survival mode. School offered her the safety and security she lacked at home, so she took a liking to it. When she found out she was pregnant at 15, she kept herself immersed in her schoolwork, graduated with honors, and received a full-ride scholarship …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 10: Meet Isis Patterson Read More »
As a child of immigrants, Lourdes saw the efforts her hard-working parents made to give her a memorable childhood, and how they always stressed the importance of education. Then, in high school, Lourdes became pregnant and the birth of her daughter inspired her aspirations for higher education, leading her to a career in nursing. As …
Nicole Alkire always excelled in athletics and academics at Standing Rock High School in North Dakota. But being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse meant Nicole turned to dating, and eventually alcohol, to cope with the trauma. In high school, she became a mother and worked hard to graduate – leaning on the support of …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 8: Meet Nicole Alkire Grady Read More »
Today, Nicole Lynn Lewis is an accomplished author, CEO of Generation Hope, and mother of five. But she didn’t always feel a sense of stability and pride. When she arrived on campus with her three-month old daughter, she instantly felt out of place and didn’t know who to turn to for help. Her feelings of …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 7: Learn About Generation Hope Read More »
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Dominique Baker married her high school sweetheart and planned to pursue a degree in social work, but her first semester in college proved to be both financially and mentally exhausting. As her family grew and Dominique took stock of the things she wanted for herself and her two children, she made the decision to leave …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 6: Meet Dominique Baker Read More »
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute announced that eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) have joined its Black and Native Family Futures Fund.
Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin was taught to always take care of those around her, but didn’t always see education as a way of doing so After dropping out of school and later finding herself incarcerated and pregnant, Yolanda became determined to change the course of her life. Once she was released, Yolanda focused on establishing a relationship …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 5: Meet Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin Read More »
Drayton Jackson experienced homelessness for almost 20 years. Today, Drayton utilizes his lived experience to advocate for others in a similar position—but it wasn’t always easy adjusting to having a seat at the table. Drayton, now the father of eight, is setting boundaries and goals for himself to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Along with …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 4: Catching up with Drayton Jackson Read More »
Soren’s interest in higher education has always been rooted in an interest in the environment, even from childhood. As an adult, after struggling with their own mental health, Soren became interested in psychology, and pursued jobs in the medical field, but was soon discouraged by the for-profit medical system. Soren went through challenging transitions in …
Ignacio Angel has decided to define for himself what success looks like as a college student and father of four. The for-profit trade school he went to, which was later investigated for preying on vulnerable students, never delivered on promises of a job, and landed him in debt. With Lilly’s help, he found a support …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 2: Meet Ignacio Angel Read More »
Dr. Daria Willis brings her extensive education and her own experience as a student parent to her role as president of Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Daria had her daughter, Lyric, during her first year in college. She shares how keenly she felt the social stigma of being a single parent. It took a …
Featured from the Ascend Community