Eyes up. Scanning. Left to right, glancing back to middle.
All alone, with a multi-colored soccer ball glued to a left foot, the fatigue of 110 minutes of back-and-forth is starting to set in.
Looking. Looking. An opening ahead.
A pass is sent upfield, threaded right through the heart of a sea of red and black. One bounce. Two bounces.
A blur of white and purple collects the deposit from the open space on the deep green Bermudagrass of Gellerstedt Field.
The adrenaline rises, pumping ferociously. A buzz of anticipation on the sideline increases by the second.
A goal—game-winning, in fact. Overtime and all. A moment straight out of a Hollywood script.
For senior Sydni Perry, this snapshot in time blurs the line between reality and fiction. A storybook ending earned off her pass to aid a game-ending score in double overtime—her only career assist. A moment you might have predicted to come from one of her storyboard sessions.
After all, a future in show business is what likely waits for the four-year Scottie defensive back.
If she were truly honest, Perry would have always had an inkling of the destination before her. Growing up in a suburb of Augusta, Georgia, Perry was immersed in the arts from an early age. A talented family of varying artistic backgrounds encouraged Perry to be well-versed and balanced in the arts through their own modeled examples. Her mother paints, her father sings, and her sister excels in both.
The Evans native started out dabbling on the vocals, belting out Beyonce lyrics from the back seat of her parents' Toyota Corolla—lovingly nicknamed “The Green Machine”—before graduating to more structured performances at church and school. Piano lessons and dance recitals were more core functions of Perry’s artistically engrained upbringing, which ignited a love for the spotlight.
Perry also credits her family’s love for sports with helping her find a good balance of both outlets in her life.
“I honestly think my involvement in the arts helped me in athletics and vice versa,” said the three-year starter.
“The fluidity and creativity I developed through my artistic interests worked their way into how would think and move on the field in a game. The teamwork and collaboration I learned on the field I could bring to the stage or performance when working with others.”
Fast-forward to the later stages of high school, Perry’s search for continuing her education was hardly narrowed down. The long list covered a vast array of structurally different institutions ranging from Virginia Tech and Penn State to little old Agnes Scott.
An interest in the arts had not been a determining factor in the early stages of the search, nor was a blossoming high school soccer career. Agnes was not high on the list either.
But something changed.
One visit turned into two. A second trip turned into a decision to come to the hidden gem in downtown Decatur.
“Each visit I got to spend time with the soccer team and really be in the atmosphere of the campus,” Perry stated. “That’s what really made the difference. I appreciated and wanted to be in a diverse community, but I also wanted to be in a place where it felt like the school wanted me.
“That was Agnes,” continued Perry.
Perry hit the ground running after arriving on campus in August 2017, quickly becoming one the most trusted players off the bench for first-year head coach Eric Struble. The speed off the bench gave the Scotties a much-needed boost on the wing for 45-50 minutes a game and cemented Perry’s importance in the roster's construction over the next few seasons.
While involvement in soccer scratched the competitive itch, Perry found herself searching for things to keep busy away from the pitch. She joined SGA and the Programming Board on the academic side of things while balancing a home in the arts with various performing groups in both music and theatre on campus.
The commitments continued to pile up through the middle of sophomore year until Perry hit a point where the juggling act became too much to handle.
“I found myself burned out because I was being pulled in so many directions,” urged Perry. “Once I recognized and acknowledged the issue, I focused pretty much all of my energy on developing in the arts.”
Hard conversations were had about soccer, as Perry was uneasy about falling back into the trap of saying yes to everything. However, after some initial time away during the sophomore spring season, Perry was more prepared to handle the delicate balancing act and rejoined the team.
The stage was set for Perry to emerge as a leader on campus in both athletics and the arts.
By the start of junior year, Perry was a reliable advocate in both arenas on campus, and people took notice. Often selected as a representative to speak to prospective student-athletes or other potential stakeholders for the Agnes Scott community, Perry was a near-perfect example of how beautifully a liberal arts education can prepare its students for the future.
Perry’s ability to grow, learn and adapt amidst adversity during her first few semesters set her up for a fruitful final three semesters at Agnes Scott. She was allowed to direct the famous Junior Production--arguably one of the best, according to sources--served in leadership roles in the soccer program and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Agnes, all while handling a full course load. The critical difference was that Perry was handling it well.
Perry passed along the lessons she learned to younger Scotties, often acting as a sounding board for student-athletes struggling with the same feelings of being overwhelmed and overcommitted.
A firm believer in “blooming where you are planted,” Perry saw firsthand how the fire of difficult moments shaped her into an aspirational and well-rounded student.
“Sometimes you aren’t in the position you want to be, and no matter how many times you ask, you still don’t get moved,” stated Perry. “You could decide, okay, I’m not going to play, or you can do your very best and support your teammates in your position and work at it so you get to where you want to be.
“Once you recognize the power in that mindset, it allows you to flourish.”
And flourish Perry has. Her experience in both sport and art at Agnes Scott has allowed her to focus on her future and the development of a craft that lies ahead.
The avenues ahead are endless for the creative spirit. She’s written, directed and acted in short films. She’s also written a children’s book titled “I Wish I Were A Cloud” and is currently working on a modeling portfolio to grow opportunities in the corporate space.
“I want to create work that changes people’s lives. I want to create and tell stories that challenge and redefine what it means to be a black woman, to show my perspective and my experiences,” echoes Perry.
“I want to be the representation I wish I could have seen growing up.”
Eyes up. Scanning left to right, she catches eyes with teammates, classmates and others who have helped her to this point. Back to the center, she finds the beaming gaze of her family.
Perry stands tall at the podium in the middle of the Science Quad, her final appearance on a stage at Agnes Scott College. A place that has challenged and molded her towards a bright future.
She begins to read, looking up and down to maintain eye contact with her socially distanced audience. Her speech written with care after being selected as the 2021 student commencement speaker as chosen by the Office of the President and a panel of judges.
Words not too dissimilar from the parting comment she had for her fellow Scottie athletes.
“If you can, surround yourself in an environment and be with people who support your dreams, and even if they don’t, you have to believe and know what you choose to do is what is best for you to making that dream come true.”