Sydney Carey ’24 was in high school in Coral Springs, Fla., when she found her calling to help people with speech and language disorders. And it happened in an unexpected place — a fast-food restaurant.
The customer in front of her was having trouble placing her order, because she had a voice disorder that made it difficult for others to understand her. She switched to American Sign Language, but nobody there knew ASL.
“It was frustrating for both the customer and those who were trying to understand her, and I decided right then and there that I wanted to learn ASL so that I could help people communicate and connect more easily,” Carey says. “That was the beginning of a personal mission that I still have today — to foster human connection.”
Carey took three years of ASL in high school and four semesters at UCF. “I will always treasure my ability to build bridges and make connections between the Deaf and hearing communities,” she says.
Today, Carey, a first-generation college student, is preparing to graduate with her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) from UCF’s College of Health Professions and Sciences.
UCF is the #1 provider of speech-language pathologists in the state, and Carey plans to launch her career as a speech pathologist, impacting lives right here in Central Florida.
Why UCF?
“UCF’s CSD program is highly ranked, and that’s part of what brought me here, but it wasn’t all,” says Carey. “I was searching for a place where I felt a true sense of welcome and belonging. After spending time on several different campuses, UCF was the clear choice. From my very first visit, I felt right at home.”
That experience led Carey to become a UCF orientation leader so that she could extend that same warm welcome to other new Knights.
It’s clear that Carey has made the most of her time at UCF. She graduated summa cum laude from her undergraduate program, and she now works as a graduate research and teaching assistant in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Along the way, she has been a leader in several clubs and organizations and received the Judge’s Choice Award for her research at UCF’s Student Scholar Symposium.
Forging a Path
In a CSD class in her sophomore year, Carey became fascinated by aphasia, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to read, write, speak or understand language. Often caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury, it doesn’t just affect communication — it can disrupt relationships and careers, make it hard to do everyday tasks like grocery shopping or managing finances, or create isolation and loneliness.
“Aphasia captured my interest right away, and I knew I wanted to study aphasia and work with people affected by it.”
She immediately became a volunteer with Aphasia Family, a community organization managed through the UCF Health Aphasia House that supports people with aphasia and fosters that vital sense of connection that Carey is so passionate about. Over the next two years, she became president of the organization.
Meanwhile Carey joined UCF’s Aphasia and Related Conditions Lab. She started as a research assistant, later became the lab’s lead coordinator and is now a graduate teaching assistant.
“I’ve had invaluable opportunities to lead diagnostic testing and research ways to improve the quality of life for people with aphasia,” Carey says.
She also had a clinical placement at UCF’s Aphasia House, and last semester, she completed an internship at a local outpatient hospital, working with adults who have aphasia.
“The process of building mutual respect, watching small steps become big steps and seeing people regain some of what they’ve lost — it’s absolutely life-changing,” Carey says.
The Power of Connection
Carey’s dream has come full circle during her time as a Knight.
“That sense of human connection that I’ve been focused on since that day in the fast-food line — I’ve found it here in more ways than I could have imagined,” she says. “I’m grateful every day that I chose UCF.”
As she prepares to graduate in August, Carey appreciates the support she has received along the way.
“I’m so thankful for the guidance I’ve had from UCF faculty and staff over the years, and also for my family’s support. They are so proud to see me pursuing my education and the career I’ve dreamed of,” she says. “And I’m incredibly grateful for the scholarships I’ve received from donors and organizations who have believed in me.”
Carey recently shared her story at UCF’s Boldly Inventing the Future event for Atlanta-based alumni, inspiring the UCF community with the impact that a Knight education can have on students, as well as those whose lives they will impact in the future.
Stories like Carey’s show why UCF’s Go For Launch campaign is so important: Investments in UCF fuel research, help students thrive and create world-changing impact.
