Sydney Leggio

Sydney Leggio has a diverse range of work experience in the field of science and engineering. Sydney is currently a Teaching Assistant for an introductory astronomy class at the University of Minnesota, where they instruct lab sections, holds office hours, and grades assignments and exams. Sydney is also a Rooted in Stem Mentor, providing guidance and support to students in STEM majors. In addition, Sydney serves as a Physics Instructional Lab Support Assistant, where they assist with setting up and explaining experiments in physics labs. Sydney also works as a Machine Shop Assistant, helping with maintenance work on physics equipment.

Outside of the university, Sydney is the Founder and President of the UMN Chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), a group that plans to pursue projects in astronomical research and space technology. Sydney is also a Technical Team Member for the Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) team at the UMN SmallSat Research Laboratory, working on CubeSat projects funded for launch in 2024. Lastly, Sydney has participated in a voluntary workforce preparation program with NASA, where they served as the Chief Scientist for a hypothetical rover mission exploring the polar ice caps.

Overall, Sydney Leggio has a strong background in science and engineering, with experience in teaching, mentoring, lab support, machine shop work, project management, and research.

Sydney Leggio obtained a High School Diploma from West Fargo Sheyenne High School from 2016 to 2020. Currently, they are pursuing a Bachelor of Science - BS degree in Astrophysics at the University of Minnesota, starting in 2021 and expected to graduate in 2025. In addition to their formal education, Sydney has also earned certifications in "Astrobiology and The Search for Extraterrestrial Life" and "Astrobiology: Exploring Other Worlds" from Coursera in August 2023.