Sydney's Story

Sydney Street, B.S. in Education – Major in Adolescence to Young Adult Education; Specialization in Integrated Mathematics (2016)
Outdoor Program Student Supervisor (2016)
Outdoor Program Trip Attendant (2014-16)

Student Supervisor Sydney Street never imagined being a leader until it became her passion after joining the Outdoor Program. The Oak Harbor, OH native is a senior at Bowling Green State University majoring in Adolescence Young Adult Education with a specialization in Integrated Mathematics and is also the president for the Outdoor Adventure Club. After college, she would love to teach calculus or geometry.

“The Freshman Wilderness Experience creates a family environment that makes you want to come back. I wanted to carry on what I gained from this experience with other students.” When Street began her education at BGSU in 2013, she was looking to get involved on campus. She had always had an interest in outdoor activities, and wanted to make the best of her college experience. “Anything outdoors gets me excited,” Street said. She then discovered and enrolled in the Freshman Wilderness Experience (FWE) and canoed in the Manistee River in Michigan. FWE is an expedition hosted by the Outdoor Program (OP) that uses information learned from First Year Program BGSU 1910 course. Through the course and the trip, freshmen learn various skills such as survival skills, camping, social skills, and critical thinking. FWE changed Street’s college experience, and reinforced her love for the outdoors. “The Freshman Wilderness Experience creates a family environment that makes you want to come back. I wanted to carry on what I gained from this experience with other students,” she said.  

Because of her experiences with FWE, Street then joined the Outdoor Program and became a FWE Trip Attendant Leader in May 2014. In February 2016 staff turnover motivated Street to step up as the Student Supervisor of the Outdoor Program. Today, she has participated in 15 trips with the Outdoor Program, including a backpacking trip through the Appalachian Mountains.

“I met my two best friends through the Outdoor Program and gained so many more friendships.” The Outdoor Program is a community that brings students together with a common interest in outdoor activities. Through outdoor activities and trips, the OP creates opportunities for leadership, team development, and personal growth. They travel to various locations in the Mid-West completing activities such as hiking, canoeing, and white water rafting. They also help plan team-building activities, and custom trips for organizations on campus.

The Outdoor Program not only helped Street become a leader but she built many lifelong relationships along the way. “I met my two best friends through the Outdoor Program and gained so many more friendships” she said. Holding a leadership position in OP changed Street’s life for the better, and will continue to help her flourish in her career as a high school math teacher.

Learn more about the Outdoor Program