EMU Today

YPSILANTI — Sydney Edwards, of Muskegon, Mich., is one of 21 students to receive the Presidential Scholarship at Eastern Michigan University for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Presidential Scholarship is a four-year award that pays for 30 credit hours per year of in-state tuition, housing, a food allowance and mandatory fees.

During her time at EMU, Sydney plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

In high school, Sydney was involved in National Honor Society, through which she volunteered frequently and acquired a significant number of community service hours through annual blood drives, Blast Off Musical Theater camp, assisting in a kindergarten classroom, coaching youth softball clinics, working in the school coffee shop, serving at the Salvation Army Turkey Run and bell ringing, and much more.

She was also heavily involved with the varsity softball and volleyball teams, IMPACT, Children's Theater, Be Nice, Extreme Cross Training, and Blast Off.

After she graduates from EMU, Sydney plans to earn a Master's degree and become either a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, with a specific focus in pediatric care.

Presidential Scholars are selected during Eastern Michigan University’s Presidential Scholarship Competition, held in December during a student’s senior year of high school. Awards are highly competitive and based on many factors, including an essay and multiple rounds of interviews. To qualify for the competition, high school seniors must have at least a 3.5 GPA and a minimum of a 25 ACT or 1130 SAT.

For more information, please visit the Presidential Scholarship website.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves nearly 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.