Sydney Brown
Name: Sydney Brown
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Year in School: Senior
Major: Exercise and Sport Science
This past summer, the #CCUPositiveImpact hashtag became quite popular. Twitter users relied on the tag to tell stories of people at Coastal who were making a positive impact on campus and beyond. Sydney Brown, an exercise and sport science senior from Philadelphia, might as well permanently put the hashtag in her Twitter bio.
A Swain Scholar, Sydney’s two years of research she compiled while in the program will culminate on Saturday, March 31, 2018, when she holds her related outreach event. For the better half of her undergraduate career, Sydney has studied the heroin and opioid epidemic in Horry County. After examining this alarming issue from countless perspectives, she is ready to rally the community and attack it head-on.
Sydney’s event is called Horry Hope and it will run from 1-4 p.m. at Oz Myrtle Beach, located at Broadway at the Beach. The event is open to all and will offer resource tables, speakers, a memorial visual and live music. Although Sydney hopes everyone living in the area will spend some of their Saturday afternoon at Horry Hope, she especially wants her fellow Chanticleers to attend.
“We have learned that a lot of it (heroin/opioid use) has started at the college age from drugs they thought were not a big deal and it escalated over time into heroin, opioids and fentanyl,” Sydney says, describing why her classmates are at a vulnerable stage.
Mentioning that “a lot of this goes unnoticed and it is really scary,” Sydney’s goal all along has been awareness. On Saturday, she will have a figurative megaphone to urge the community to take this major societal problem seriously. After devoting so much time to her research, she has earned it.
Although Sydney says that Coastal “provides a lot of opportunities to be successful,” we recognize that she brought from Philadelphia a natural work ethic and passion that would make her successful anywhere. Sydney, thanks for attending our University – we are proud of you!
Q&A with Sydney
How did you hear about Coastal?: I heard about Coastal from my high school advisor.
Why did you come to Coastal?: I came to Coastal to experience a new environment, new people and to be close to the beach!
Favorite professor: MacGregor Hall
Favorite class: Injury Management
Favorite aspect of Coastal?: The small class sizes and the close relationships with faculty.
Favorite aspect of living in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area?: The beach!
Clubs/Intramurals/other extracurricular activities involved in?: I am a Swain Scholar at Coastal Carolina working to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic here in Horry County. I am also a member of Phi Sigma Sigma.
Do you work anywhere currently (either on or off campus)?: I work full-time for Wyndham Vacation Ownership and part-time at OZ Celebrations Nitelife. I am also a research assistant interning at CCU in the Kinesiology department.
Plans after graduation?: I plan to continue to work and save money for graduate school. Hopefully I will travel before continuing my education.
What are your hobbies?: Going to the beach and photography
Do you have any hidden talents?: I can do a head-stand