3 minute read
Alumni Profile
14 | Winter 2020 “I see challenge as an opportunity to CONQUER, an opportunity to LEARN, and an opportunity to GROW.”
Sydney Giovinazzo ’17 cannot remember a day when she didn’t want to teach. In her pre-teens, she got her start in a classroom as a Sunday School teacher at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in her home state of Massachusetts. The idea of being part of a child’s growth has always been on Sydney’s heart and she loves to learn, so it was no surprise she studied elementary and special education at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
How did a Bostonian end up in Milwaukee? Sydney chose WLC because Christ is at the center and she wanted to grow in her faith and personal relationship with Jesus. She was also drawn to the opportunities the college’s education program offered being in a city with an established network of resources and schools. In addition, she credits the mentorship that James Holman, assistant professor and director of her with a network of fellow Christians who seek to change the face of education in Milwaukee and beyond. Prof. Holman said: “Sydney showed great aptitude and the dispositional skills to be an outstanding educator during her years studying education at WLC. Her intense drive for excellence and high expectations of students make her an effective classroom teacher and leader.”
Sydney had a unique start to her teaching career. During her junior year at WLC, she was asked to fill an emergency vacancy to teach eighth grade at Risen Savior Lutheran School in Milwaukee. The opportunity came the day before she was scheduled to leave on a mission trip to Uganda, Africa. She accepted
teacher education at WLC, gave her along the way and continues to give to her today. Sydney shares, “He has coached, encouraged, and inadvertently counseled me through international endeavors, emergency placements, and the realities of teaching.”
According to Sydney, WLC gave her the opportunity to see what Christian education could look like, including how to teach with Christ at the forefront. WLC also equipped the teaching position, went on an inspiring mission trip, and deferred her studies at WLC for one year so she could teach.
Following her emergency placement, Sydney returned for her senior year at WLC. During a chance meeting at a coffee shop, she learned about a new opportunity to serve at Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School from school founder Kevin Festerling. The facility in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, had not
even opened its doors to students yet, but she was moved by the school’s mission, commitment to Christ, and the challenge. What started as an internship, with the experience of developing programs, prioritizing needs, building networks, and dreaming up outcomes for the school, turned into her calling after graduation.
According to Sydney: “I see challenge as an opportunity to conquer, an opportunity to learn, and an opportunity to grow. I believe that God has given me a spirit to do so. Being a founding member of an all-boys, Christian high school with students who are demographically different than me in both gender and race fits that description quite perfectly. Similarly, my decision to serve at Kingdom Prep matched my decision to attend WLC. I get to walk with students whom I encourage in their pursuit of Christ.”
The reason Sydney Giovinazzo went into education was to be part of a child’s growth. As an English teacher and director of special education services at Kingdom Prep, she not only gets to take part in her students’ academic growth but in every facet of their faith walk.
