Sydney Gambrell is a senior graduating this spring with a major in fine arts and a concentration in painting. She is an artist, volunteer and first-generation college student with a number of accolades to her name.
When deciding the major she would pursue as an undergraduate, art was an obvious choice.
“I have always enjoyed art in general. I grew up practicing as an artist. So, in my case, it was just furthering my love for art. And something that I’ve found that I am passionate about is education,” Gambrell said.
She has nurtured her passions in several academic settings, like in high school, where she was a part of extracurriculars like Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the National Art Honor Society.
“I’ve gained experience from high school and some other organizations like the National Future Farmers of America organization that I’ve been largely a part of that’s taught me my love for education and community engagement,” Gambrell said.
Gambrell won two awards from this year’s Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, a competitive program where a juror hand selects what they think will go best in the gallery.
“This year, I was awarded the Janice and Werner Mueller award. It’s a merit award for a photopolymer print that I made. And then I also received the Joyce and Baxter Simpson purchase award for an oil painting that I did,” she said.
“(The process) gives students a good opportunity to have that experience before graduating and applying to these types of exhibitions outside of school. This is my third year submitting,” Grambell said.
Something that makes the UJE unique is that one hundred percent of the profit of the purchased work is given to the student.
“It’s very common for a gallery to take a commission out of a purchase, for example, but this is completely 100 percent given to the student,” Grambell said. “And I think that’s great because we put a lot of work into our work, and it’s just encouraging. And just basically a job well done when a student can get a reward and absolutely receive one hundred percent of their work.”
Gambrell has also been a part of the Close Scholars program here at Winthrop, which is a scholarship program where recipients are rewarded with financial aid in return for completing 112 hours of community service from organizations of their choosing, and maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
“It’s an opportunity to not only help with financial stresses on a student and aid them in the way of a scholarship, but it gives that student a chance to volunteer within York County in an area that suits their interests,” Grambell said. “I think that’s special that some organizations or ways to volunteer may not always be suited to something that you like.”
Gambrell says the hours she puts into volunteering let her focus on something she is passionate about, and also gives her a chance to dedicate time to learning more about the surrounding community.
“For me, it is a great way to learn more about the place where I am volunteering. My main location that I volunteer at is the Culture and Heritage Museums in their collection, in our paths department, which is amazing. I’m learning absolutely so much. I’m loving my time there,” Gambrell said.
Gambrell is also a first-generation college student, and she’s come to learn how important that is for her and her family.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity just to be here. My parents didn’t get the opportunity to come to college,” Grambell said. “They’ve worked very hard to help me be here. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about that. The more I talk about it, the more I start to realize that just graduating as a first-generation student is special.”
After graduation, Gambrell plans to return to her hometown, Pendleton, to teach art part-time at the Clemson art center during the summer for ages three to 12. It is her second summer teaching. She also plans to pursue her master’s at some point in the future.
