Getting to Know Sydney Manns 

Sydney Manns is a student at the University of Central Florida, studying English – Technical Communication with minors in Spanish and Hospitality Management. She is one of two of Ecolink’s one-thousand-dollar scholarship recipients. We wanted to get to know a bit more about Sydney and her winning essay, so we asked. Here’s what we learned about Sydney: 

Sydney is a busy student at the University of Central Florida. Along with her major in English-Technical Communications, and her two minors (Spanish and Hospitality Management), Sydney also finds time to volunteer! She is part of the Future Technical Communicators at UCF and she volunteers as a tutor teaching English for the Adult Literacy League. 

As an English major, Sydney does plenty of writing so she plans to put her scholarship money from Ecolink towards a new laptop! Her current computer has seen better days and with remote classes, jobs, etc. her laptop is her most essential tool. 

Sydney is very passionate about protecting the environment. She feels the biggest danger to the environment is humans. “We have a history of being wasteful, and if we don’t change our habits, then the environmental consequences will only worsen. If each person incorporates greener practices into their everyday lives—starting with conscience chemical use—then we can chip away at the harm we’ve collectively contributed and make way for a greener future,” she said. 

After graduation, Sydney plans to move to Madrid, Spain to teach English and continue her career in a remote technical writing position. 

Sydney practices what she preaches and continues protecting the environment, Sydney’s plans include trying to “minimize my waste at home, offset my carbon footprint when I travel, support companies with sustainable initiatives, and encourage others that I meet to do the same!” 

Her advice to others who share her love for the Earth: 

“Start small! Something as simple as taking a shorter shower, riding the bus, using a reusable water bottle, or choosing cleaning solutions with non-toxic chemicals has an impact on the environment whether you realize it or not. Find ways to make sustainable practices a habit in your daily life.” 

Ecolink is proud to award Sydney this scholarship and we wish her much success in both her writing career and in being a good steward of our planet.? We look forward to seeing Sydney’s future unfold as she travels abroad and passes her English skills and environmental passion to others. 

Check out her winning essay here!