Adminstrative Assistant Sydnie Smith details her new responsibilities as social media coordinator and shares her love for travel and food.
What are your current duties and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I am currently an Administrative Assistant III, and I have been with the department for about a year and a half. My responsibilities include providing support to faculty and scheduling and supporting the med students that rotate through our department. I also assist with marketing as social media coordinator and help with alumni relations.
I would say working and organizing the medical students is my favorite part of the job. It is a challenging puzzle, but it is rewarding to successfully schedule a block of students in different courses across different sub-specialties.
What was your childhood like?
My childhood was about as Midwest as it gets! I grew up in southern Illinois, moved around a few times slowly inching our way toward St. Louis and finally wound up in Belleville in eighth grade. Mom worked in St. Louis and dad was a coal miner. We lived a busy life with my sister Hailee and I both in sports, but we made time every summer to take a family trip to Destin, Fla. Those trips usually signaled summer was over and golf season and school were about to start. My sister and I both golfed, so my parents were lucky to have 8 consecutive years of watching us on the golf course. My mom was the best golf mom, stocked with an arsenal of snacks, and my dad would venture into the woods and fill the cart up with golf balls he found (some days I would lose a lot). When I think of childhood, I fondly recall lots of family time and always being on the go!
What spare time activities bring you the most joy?
In my spare time, I love cooking and trying new recipes, trying new cafes and restaurants around the city, or watching reality TV on Bravo. My ideal day would be a morning Barre STL class, a visit to Comet Coffee or Fiddlehead Fern Café for a latte and pastry, then home to relax, watch some Bravo, and finally ending the day at Stew’s, Basso, or Sasha’s – or maybe all three – with the company of my loved ones!
Is there a special something at the top of your bucket list, and why?
I love to travel and my next big bucket list destination is Patagonia! South America would be my fifth continent to visit. Argentina and Chile are home to amazing landscapes and I would imagine some of the best cuisine. I would love to have two weeks to explore the nature and cities there. I just need to convince someone to go with me!
Do you have a favorite quote or words that you try to live by?
I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, and we should try to find the positive in each situation. This mindset makes me more optimistic and helps me have fewer regrets. If I were to regret something from the past, I realize it might change where I am today. The good, the bad, and the ugly – all of it has led me to the present moment. Trust the path you are on! It is all happening for a reason.
What would surprise your colleagues most to learn about you?
I help manage my sister’s day spa, where I oversee the employees and serve as lead spray tan artist.