During her time at CSUF, Sydney Washington studied both psychology and kinesiology. She was also a supplemental instructor for intermediate statistics and worked at the Social Science Research Center. She has researched the detrimental psychological impacts of stereotype threat at UC San Diego and last summer, she worked at UC Berkeley’s Cognitive Neuroanatomy Lab.
Chosen to become one of the campus’s Ronald E. McNair Scholars, she conducted her own interview study examining the impact of injuries (e.g., concussion) on college football players’ mental health and identity (mentored by Ella Ben Hagai, associate professor of psychology). Washington presented her research findings at the Western Psychological Association Conference and The Black Doctoral Network Western Regional Conference. As a Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar, she will be working at UCLA and starting this fall, she will be pursuing a M.S. degree in sport psychology at Cal State Long Beach. She hopes to work as a clinical sport psychologist who will advocate for underrepresented groups in professional sports.