Class Year: August 2023
Degree Program: Master of Social Work
During the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences’ diploma ceremony May 19, graduating student Sydney Evans was called to the Maltz Performing Arts Center stage not once but four times.
Chosen by her peers to be the Class of 2023 student speaker, Evans shared reflections about her calling to serve as a social worker and her experience at ǿմý. She was also recognized for her outstanding interest and accomplishments in the areas of humanitarian service, for volunteering in a successful community service activity or project, and with the Irene Sogg Gross Award and the Sylvia and John A. Yankey Community Service Award, respectively.
Evans’ interest in social work stems from her undergraduate studies in public health at Kent State University. With a particular focus on community health outreach and development, she became a community health worker through the Ohio Board of Nursing and served as the undergraduate student government senator for Kent State’s College of Public Health.
“I wanted to come to the Mandel School to learn how to impact my community and hometown of Cleveland,” she said. “I also know legendary people and instructors have influenced the curriculum here.”
During her time at the Mandel School, Evans served as the director of social work for the Student Run Health Clinic and completed her last year of field education at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. There, she planned and promoted their second annual Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, developed listening tours for the Cleveland African American Prostate Cancer Project, created a prostate healthcare navigation community guidebook and served as a community navigator and research assistant. She is planning a publication about that experience in the coming months.
Evans will officially complete her coursework this month and begin working toward her PhD in Social Welfare at the Mandel School this fall. Her professional goals are to run for Cleveland City Council and become the executive director of community outreach and engagement for a cancer or cardiovascular foundation.
When asked to reflect on her time at ǿմý, Evans said: “I encourage everyone to advocate for what they think is right because you never know who is listening or willing to make a change with you.”