ASU grad found herself in environmental engineering

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2022 graduates.

Sydney Wickman says she wanted to do more than earn a degree when attending college; she wanted to find herself.

“I liked the resources that Arizona State University could offer me and I was able to take time to find a major I would enjoy beyond school,” Wickman says.

After a brief stint trying her hand at computer information systems, she found herself exploring all that environmental engineering had to offer. She officially made the switch to the program her junior year at ASU and hasn’t looked back since.

“The environmental engineering major was new and I found myself excited for many of the classes this major offered,” Wickman says. “It’s interesting since it largely deals with water, and all the issues that come with treating this resource that is necessary for every person in the world.”

In the years to come, she sees herself working to remediate contaminated areas, creating more treatment plants for water and wastewater, or even working on hydrology projects within cities.

During her time at ASU, Wickman was dedicated to doing philanthropic works, serving as the vice president of finance for ASU’s Omega Phi Alpha service sorority. The position allowed her to coordinate food drives and other charitable events that served those less fortunate.

She also spent time working in the Industrial Assessment Center on campus. As part of this center, Wickman was able to conduct energy efficiency assessments on industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants with a team of engineering students and faculty members. She also worked with that team to compile technical reports — a skill that has prepared her for her future work. 

Wickman has accepted a job at GES, an environmental remediation consulting company based in Arizona with projects in California. She says she will also be pursuing a master’s degree in environmental engineering in the future.

“Engineering has changed my life by making me more confident in my own abilities and goals,” Wickman says.

MORE: Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2022 class