Posts

Future Career Aspirations

| sauer.163

My goal is to become a public sociologist focused on reducing inequality in America through data-driven, sociology-backed evidence. Specifically, I’m interested in researching progressive drug policy.

After graduation, I plan to gain a few years of work experience in research and/or policy before heading to graduate school. My long-term goal is to attend a PhD program focused on tangible applications of sociological research, such as Harvard University’s joint degree in sociology and social policy.

After receiving my PhD, I plan to bring my research and analysis skills into the public or private sector and bridge the gap between academic work and its concrete applications. This could take a wide variety of forms, such as a job in policy, R&D, or NGO program management, so I am keeping an open mind about the specifics! I take inspiration from academics such as David Ellwood who bring their research to non-academic circles.

My Professional Side

| sauer.163

Welcome! My name is Sydney Sauer, and I’m a senior Eminence Fellow here at The Ohio State University. I am majoring in  Sociology (B.S.) with a minor in Computer & Information Science.

I aspire to become a public sociologist, bridging the gap between the academic world and concrete policy issues. I believe that if everyone had access to the scientifically-grounded knowledge that I have learned through my sociology coursework, people and policies would be much more understanding of how privilege and stratification alter outcomes for diverse groups of people.

I’m specifically interested in drug policy and efforts to end the racist War on Drugs. I work for The SOAR Initiative, a student-founded nonprofit that seeks to provide resources and support to people who use drugs and their loved ones. As the Director of Operations, I manage the organization’s finances, human resources, and legal efforts.

In the future, I am interested in attending graduate school and working towards my PhD in sociology and/or social policy. Immediately after graduation, however, I am searching for a job that will allow me to gain on-the-ground experience in research and policy before diving into my PhD.

If you’re interested in learning more, please connect on LinkedIn!

My Personal Side

| sauer.163

Be sure to check out my professional information too!

I love longboarding, and you’ll hardly see me traversing Ohio State’s campus on foot. I’m also an extrovert who loves doing Zumba, talking about life, and eating delicious meals with my friends.

Teaching my friends how to longboard (right)!
Ice skating in New York City… I miss pre-pandemic spontaneous travel (right).
Camping trip with friends from the Eminence Fellows scholarship program (left).

Year in Review: 2020-2021

| sauer.163

My path to finding my purpose has been a winding road. For my first three semesters at Ohio State, I was double-majoring in computer science and linguistics, with the goal of creating equitable technology. I honed my coding skills through an internship at JB Hunt and my technical communications skills as the director of communications at Level Up Tutorials.

However, as I dove deeper into the world of equitable technology, I realized that my passion lay with the equitable part, not the technology part. Starting spring semester of 2021, I took a leap of faith, abandoning a year and a half of coursework, a return offer from JB Hunt, and my work at Level Up that reached tens of thousands of people, to start over and pursue a B.A. in sociology.

I haven’t looked back! This school year has been one of tremendous growth and a renewed excitement about my future. I started a podcast, In Good Society, which explores from a sociological lens the inequality of opportunity that’s baked into American society. Through interviews with expert guests, I attempt to show the general population how everything from history to ingrained biases causes some people to succeed while others fail, despite hard work and the best intentions.

I also volunteer with the Council on American Islamic Relations Ohio chapter (CAIR-Ohio) to help with monthly criminal record sealing clinics. In this role, I work directly with candidates to determine their eligibility for record sealing, file the appropriate court forms, and draft a declaration showing a narrative of rehabilitation for the judge.

Finally, I have also recently started working on a research project with Dr. Douglas B. Downey that explores how motivated reasoning influences parents’ ability to interpret sociological data about school quality. I am working towards graduation with honors research distinction, and for my capstone project, I am hoping to further explore the individual and group mechanisms that influence how people interpret and respond to sociological findings.

G.O.A.L.S.

| sauer.163

By pursuing the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S., I hope to become not only academically prepared for my career but also socially and culturally acclimated to the global nature of today’s economy. My GOALS are:

  1. Global Awareness: I hope to travel abroad one summer, either to further my studies or pursue research. Living and learning in another country will enable me to expand my cultural horizons and connect with people regardless of language, place of origin, and race. 
  2. Original Inquiry: By my senior year, I hope to have completed an honors research thesis and graduate with research distinction.
  3. Academic Enrichment: Through honors classes, I plan to get the strongest education possible. Although I’m not sure whether or not I want to attend graduate school, my goal is to put myself in a position academically where it would be possible. To do so, I’ll be taking honors courses all four years of my college career. This year, I’m taking SOCIOL 1101H, and I love the small class sizes and extra enrichment. 
  4. Leadership Development: As an Eminence Fellow, I plan to get heavily involved with our class service project, Cultivate Columbus, and put my leadership skills to work. My strengths lie in interpersonal communication and developing strategies for success, both of which will come in handy when designing and implementing an original service project.
  5. Service Engagement: My biggest service involvement is Cultivate Columbus, but I hope to also join an established student organization.

These 5 G.O.A.L.S. will help me immensely in my quest to become a socially conscious, well-educated global citizen.