Sydney Anderson, of Arcanum, Ohio, is an achiever.

Sydney Anderson of Arcanum, Ohio received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

Before she received her high school diploma from Arcanum Butler Local Schools, Anderson had already earned an associate’s degree from Edison State Community College. She had accumulated enough college credits through the College Credit Plus program to earn the two-year degree.

Now Anderson is celebrating another achievement. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in mild intervention this May from Indiana University East. She completed the degree in two years.

IU East was a natural choice for Anderson.

In high school, she followed her sister’s footsteps and completed the college credits program. Ahead of her in college, her sisters, Shelby (Anderson) Rowland and Savanah (Anderson) Stickley attended the IU East School of Business and Economics.

“Both of my sisters graduated from the business program and enjoyed their time there,” Anderson said. “However, I knew that I wanted to go into education. I did not look into any other colleges because of wanting to follow in their footsteps. At my house, we call these similar educational journeys, ‘the trifecta.’”

That trifecta carried over to choosing a profession in teaching.

“Growing up, I loved helping my peers in school even if it meant that I was behind where the teacher wanted me to be. Many people in my family are educators. Some may have thought that this would ‘scare’ me away, but it drew me in even more. I love helping others and more specifically those who struggle with the things that I take for granted. I have never really considered any other career, so I knew that I just needed to set my mind to it and become as amazing of a teacher as possible.”

Anderson received the Chancellor’s Scholar Award for the School of Education. The awards are presented to the highest achieving seniors by academic school. The Chancellor’s Scholar awards were announced during the virtual Honors Convocation on April 30.

She is also a recipient of the 2019 Becky Melton Scholarship in recognition of the volunteer work she does in her community. The scholarship was established in 2012 to honor Melton and is awarded annually to an IU East student who exemplifies the spirit of giving. Anderson has additionally received the Red Wolves Scholarship, IU East High School Counselor Select Scholarship, Harry and Marilyn Voyles Scholarship and an IU East Alumni Scholarship.

Earning the honor of top student for her program took a lot of hard work. As a student in the education program, Anderson learned more than expected about different areas in the field and all the “ins and outs” of teaching. Now she’s ready to be the best teacher she can be for her future students.

Jerry Wilde, dean of the School of Education, said Anderson has been an outstanding student from the start.

“Sydney has only been with us for two years but very early on she distinguished herself as an outstanding student,” Wilde said. “She is always striving to do her very best work and I know that carries over into her work in the classroom. She will be an outstanding educator for years to come.”

Denice Honaker, assistant professor of education, also taught Anderson in her classes.

“Sydney is one of the most hard-working students I’ve had the pleasure to work with,” Honaker said. “Her passion for doing her best is one of her greatest strengths. I wish her the best and know that she will positively impact many students’ lives throughout her career.”

Each semester Anderson pushed herself to accomplish good grades.

“At the end of each semester I would feel accomplished and realize that I was one semester closer to reaching my dreams,” Anderson said. “Here I am, five semesters later earning my bachelor’s degree. It was astonishing to find out that I was top of my class. It made me realize that all of the tears, stress, laughter, and more were completely worth it.”

Now that Anderson has her degree, she’s ready for her first full time job as a teacher in her home state of Ohio.

“Growing up in a rural setting has led me to direct my job searches back to small communities that are tight-knit,” Anderson said.