Sydney Moskowitz '19

Combining HDFS and nursing into career working with children

Introducing Sydney Moskowitz, Class of 2019 Human Development and Family Studies graduate and now an undergraduate nursing student at University of Maryland School of Nursing. Sydney’s decision to return to school for her bachelor's degree in nursing was directly related to her love and enjoyment of children. In the fall of 2022, she would like to be working as a pediatric oncology nurse at the Children’s Hospital in Maryland.

Nursing school is completely new to Sydney. She finds the experience exciting and rewarding. She began her nursing education during the pandemic, throwing her into a whirlwind of experiences and relationships with patients. Because of clinical rotations in the hospital, she is learning new skills on the job every week. As a volunteer and nurse-in-training, she was recently part of a COVID vaccination team, providing vaccinations to people in her community. In fact, Sydney has volunteered in a multitude of places as a student nurse, as a child care specialist, recreational therapy intern, family and children camp coordinator intern, and school transition coordinator intern, just to name a few. Her LinkedIn account is chock full of interesting and diverse experiences – all having to do with children and their families. This summer, in an effort to broaden her nursing skills, she will be working as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) at Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland.

Sydney has fond memories of her four years in Happy Valley – the sea of blue and white at the football games, singing the Alma Mater after the games, feeling that sense of belonging. She rarely missed a game. She also participated in Thon all four years, completely caught up in the mission and atmosphere each and every February.

If she could return to PSU, she would. Her advice to those who are fortunate enough to still be a PSU student is to enjoy every moment. Take advantage of campus and community activities, as these experiences will change you and possibly your career path. Get involved. The friendships and connections she made while at PSU have made a huge impact on her own life.

This profile was published June 2021.