Brief Biography:‍

Sydney grew up in Wisconsin, where she enjoyed a semi-classical homeschooled education that she expanded upon during her undergraduate tenure at Hillsdale College. There, her soul was enlivened, and she learned to love the collaborative pursuit of knowledge and holistic excellence inherent to good classical education. In particular, Sydney delighted in literature and philosophy, and she expects those subjects to figure heavily in her future education and employment. Sydney (formerly Sydney Tone) met her husband, David, while in college. They were married in November 2022 and welcomed their first child, Stephen, in October 2023. After graduating, Sydney taught middle school literature and science at Lake Country Classical Academy in Wisconsin until David’s work called them to Minnesota for a year. Sydney intends to delve deeper into Hillsdale’s wonderful community, further enrich her understanding of classical pedagogical theory and practice, and continue to grow as a wife, mother, and human being throughout her time in graduate school.

Research Interests:

‍Education of the emotions, Josef Pieper’s view of contemplation, and Augustinian philosophy.

Recent Professional Developments:

• Fall 2024 Semester: I have been working in Hillsdale’s K-12 office, primarily updating teacher support team materials and researching state and school proficiency data. I’ve continued to tutor students online in English and essay writing for a few hours each week as well.
• 2022-2023 School Year: I worked as a 7th and 8th grade science teacher and 7th grade literature teacher at Lake Country Classical Academy in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
• In the year between teaching and entering graduate school, I was a part-time tutor and a full-time stay-at-home mom!

What Has Been the Thing You’ve Appreciated Most About Your Time Here?

‍I appreciate the humanity of the people at Hillsdale. Our professors have a wealth of wisdom, and they hold us students to high standards, but they treat us with love and respect. The same is true of the students themselves; there is a rich, collaborative community here. Overall, the education pursued by both students and professors is formational rather than transactional: everyone recognizes every other person as an embodied soul with great potential that can and should be honed.

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