Sidney Scarlett was the third grader who boasted to the entire playground that when she grew up she wanted to work in renewable energy. Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Sidney was able to travel to 49 of 50 US states during her childhood. Her travels allowed her the opportunity to see and experience much of the beauty that this planet has to offer, which helped spark her passion and commitment to sustainability. Originally an environmental studies student at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, a host of issues—especially college COVID—drove her to work in Zion National Park for a semester, leaving Macalester College behind. In the fall of 2021, Sidney enrolled in UM with a major in the new Sustainability Science and Practice degree offered by our Environmental Studies Program. She will graduate this spring and will be receiving a President’s Outstanding Student Award (POSA), an award of reverential recognition awarded to a single student from each Bachelor’s program at UM.

During her time at UM, Sidney’s initial passion for sustainability gained tangible form as she began to study the multifaceted and varied approach to sustainable solutions. In her studies, she has found that the solutions are out there, but it is just a deep question of how best to implement these solutions. However, Sidney doesn’t think it was just her time in the classroom that led to her POSA nomination. Sidney has participated in many jobs, internships, and research opportunities on campus and beyond. In the Fall 2022 semester, Sidney Scarlett analyzed chlorophyll content from algae samples from the Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers as a lab assistant with Environmental Studies Emeritus professor Vicki Watson. That summer, she interned for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), where she studied stream water quality in eastern Montana. Now, Sidney works with Tayli Hillyard, UM’s Sustainability Engagement Coordinator as a sustainability communications intern where she is in charge of the communication/marketing aspects of sustainability endeavors here on campus.

One of Sidney’s biggest accomplishments in this position comes from her work around launching the ParkZen app for campus parking. It allows you to see where open spots on campus are. ParkZen also collects valuable parking data, which helps Parking and Sustainability staff better understand parking demand, informing decisions related to parking and alternative transportation efforts on campus.

In addition, Sidney aided in promoting the “commuter challenge” across each department which challenged students, staff, and faculty from each department to commute sustainably to campus a minimum of once over a two-week period. The results were more than she had hoped for, with historic participation levels and the challenge saving almost 2,500 lbs of CO₂ emissions in those two weeks!

As graduation looms, Sidney looks to the future. After graduation, she will be moving to Anaconda, MT, with her partner while she begins the long-dreaded but long-awaited plunge into the job market. Sidney isn’t entirely certain what awaits her in the future, but many aspects of sustainability pique her interest including sustainability outreach, sustainable travel/ecotourism, carbon emission accounting, and sustainability in the textile industry. Whatever awaits Sidney after graduation, she is confident that the skills, knowledge, and experience she has gained from her UM career will help launch her into a fulfilling career in sustainability.