SYDNEY COVITZ ’21 Venly Fellow Spotlight

Raised in Washington, D.C., Sydney Covitz is a 2020 graduate of Swarthmore College where she studied Computer Science and English Literature. Sydney’s dual interest in systems and communication has led her into artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cybersecurity, creative writing, and journalism. In addition to her coursework, Sydney spent her summers in a range of applied learning and research-based internships at Carnegie Mellon University's Institute for Software Research, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and The Washington Post. During her time at Swarthmore, Sydney was a member of the Swarthmore College Computer Society and wrote for her college newspaper, The Phoenix. All of Sydney’s interests depended on collaboration skills which she strengthened as captain of Swarthmore's soccer team and as a member of the College’s track team. Prior to her graduation which was moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney already had been passionate about the discipline of disaster recovery which she learned about in her courses and professional work. In the Fellowship, Sydney wants to apply her energy and experience to help local businesses and their communities grow in a world of Networked AI & Big Data.