Sydney Owens is being recognized for her dedication and hard work as a first-year teacher at Wetumpka Elementary School. She chose to teach at Wetumpka Elementary because she fell in love with the school and everything the administrators, teachers, and staff do for students. Ms. Owens interned at WES and had a wonderful experience. She shares, “All the teachers were amazing. They welcomed me with open arms and treated me like their own.”
Sydney graduated from Faulkner University with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She’s working on her Master’s in Elementary Education from Faulkner University and will graduate in June. Becoming a third-grade teacher was a passion for loving the age group. After her internship last year, she felt connected with these older students and their stage of life. “I want to be the reason that they continue to love school and want to succeed in their school career.”
Being a teacher means everything to Ms. Owens. It’s something she’s wanted to do since she was a young girl. Watching young minds grow and explore new things is a gift for her. Her mentor teacher shares, “She is a rockstar! She works hard to give her students hands-on materials while incorporating the rigor needed in 3rd grade. Her love for learning pours out daily in her love for her students. She’s a ray of sunshine everywhere she goes.”
As a first-year teacher, there have been days that she’s questioned herself, but then she gets a smile from one of her students or sees the excitement when they finally understand something that they have been struggling with, and it makes her remember the reason why she wanted to become a teacher. Her goals are to make an impact on her students, be a role model, shape her students, and enhance their learning.
After teaching, Sydney hopes to work with the state of Alabama as a reading coach for other teachers.
Sydney Owens is from Greenville, AL, and graduated from Greenville High School in 2018. She also began her cheer career at a young age and continued through her last year in college. She assists with the Faulkner University cheerleaders.
