News & Events

Sydney LeGuillow '19, who shined as a student-athlete at Norfolk Academy, is drawing praise for the service and leadership she is providing in college.

Sydney attends Hofstra University in New York, where she plays field hockey. She also is serving this school year as President of the university's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which handles a number of on-campus responsibilities including building a sense of community across teams and throughout the athletics department; organizing service projects; and recommending NCAA legislation. As a sophomore, Sydney was the SAAC Equity and Wellness Coordinator.

Hofstra competes in the Colonial Athletic Association, which named Sydney its December 2021 Female Student-Athlete of the Month. She has earned a number of other honors in college, including being a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Academic Squad member; making the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll; the Hofstra Pride Community Service Award and Colonel E. David Woycik, Jr Award for Leadership and Service.

At Norfolk Academy, Sydney played field hockey, softball, and indoor track and field. She earned a field hockey coaches award as a senior and a Female Breakthrough Athlete Award as a junior. She also earned a softball coaches award in 2017.

The CAA highlighted Sydney on January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as it honored the life of Dr. King, publishing an almost 7-minute video on her work continuing to carry on his legacy. Sydney “leads with courage and boldness to bring forward change to her campus and beyond," the league said. 

Sydney has created a partnership between Hofstra and STRONG Youth, an organization that works to end youth gang violence and empower the next generation. Sydney is interning for the organization.

“When I met Sydney for the first time, I knew that she was going to be a lifelong partner," Beria Gaxiola, a STRONG Youth director, said in the video. “Her passion was measurable but also her level of understanding of the issues and the challenges facing our youth and families was truly refreshing."

Sydney said she has always had a drive to create change. “If there's a problem, then we should be working to fix it," she said.

Her advice to others who want to follow Dr. King's legacy and create positive change: “Do what you think is right. Do what you want to do. If there's an avenue that you want to take, take it."

Please watch the CAA video highlighting Sydney on their website.