When I first started at The News-Banner a year ago, reporter Sydney Kent was a beacon of light, coming in with a smile or joke to lighten the mood despite what problems she may have with her own beat. As she departs from our team to pursue avenues closer to her home, I wanted to share a few words about working alongside her.
Sydney was a “fire starter” for me. She’s the kind of person who challenges others to be better versions of themselves through her own example. Sydney’s always willing to lend a hand and ready to stand up for what’s just. We didn’t have much overlap in our areas of reporting, but she helped me get through those initial “teething troubles,” so to speak.
Moreover, in her area of “cops and courts,” she has walked into some of the worst situations in the county and kept a level head. Sydney also wrote about non-profits and other fundraising ventures for the disadvantaged, painting an accurate picture of any situation while also remaining hopeful for the future.
In covering a Board of Public Works and Safety meeting earlier this year, I wrote 75-100 words about a fundraiser for a little girl with cancer. My heart bled the whole time. Sydney handled similar situations all the time, and always found a way to keep smiling.
Most recently, with the week-long murder trial in Huntington County, she went in and covered every single day in great detail. It is not an easy feat to go through all those courtroom hours with nothing but a pen and paper to write notes. Sydney never faltered, even with the long hours of that trial combined with the tight time frame in writing 1,000-word stories or longer.
In addition to her jovial personality, Sydney was also incredibly skilled as a writer. She has won multiple writing and photojournalism awards throughout her career. Her ideas and story writing methods have worked their way into some of my articles as well.
Sydney’s been an incredible mentor, alongside the rest of the N-B staff who’ve been invaluable as I’ve learned the ropes of reporting. I’m deeply thankful for her encouragement and guidance and wish her the best in this next chapter.
jonathan@news-banner.com
