Generous alumni and friends of American University have established scholarships to allow students to fully realize their ambitions. Scholarships ensure an American University education is accessible, attainable, and affordable.

Sydney Fry, CAS ’19, is a Ronald Francis Crown Scholarship recipient. Fry, who hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in business administration. She is also a supplemental instructor for an introductory-level biology course.

Sports and Science

The Ronald Francis Crown Scholarship was established in 1997 in memory of Dr. Ronald Crown, CAS '58, to provide scholarship support for an outstanding junior or senior student-athlete who has earned a varsity letter in their sport and maintained a grade point average of 3.25 or higher. Students majoring in the sciences are preferred.

Fry is captain of AU’s women’s lacrosse team. “Being an athlete has been a highlight of my time at AU,” said Fry. “I’ve been able to play all four years and make a huge impact on the team.”

As a student in the sciences, Fry has also dedicated her time to helping other student-athletes succeed. “As a supplemental instructor in biology, I’m able to know beforehand which student-athletes are going to be taking my classes and make sure they come to my sessions and are getting the extra help they need,” explained Fry. “I’ve really been able to be a mentor to a lot of the other science majors on my team.”

Commitment to Volunteerism

While a student at AU, Fry has a demonstrated passion for volunteerism and has participated in a variety of community service projects around DC. One such project combines her love of sports with her passion for health awareness in her community service work. “I volunteer at the Grassroot Project, a non-profit that trains student-athletes in the DC area to implement programs in middle schools in Southeast DC that don’t have very strong sexual education programs,” said Fry. “We teach them about healthy sexual education and HIV awareness, because DC is much worse than any other city in the country with the HIV epidemic.”

As a prospective medical student, Fry would like to continue her commitment to service by volunteering at HIV clinics or at clinics serving low-income clients.  

Fry’s Future Goals

Fry hopes to become a doctor and plans to attend medical school after graduation. As a senior, she is especially grateful for her donor-funded scholarship because it has lessened the overall cost of her education and minimizes the stress of loans on her and her family.

“Thank you for recognizing the time student-athletes put into sports and school,” said Fry. “Being a science person and student-athlete epitomizes who I am. Lacrosse takes up more time than a full-time job; I’m also captain, which takes up even more time!”

Support Students like Sydney Fry

Philanthropic support from donors is a vital way incredible students like Fry are able to pursue their dreams at AU. “I would like to think the donors so much for their recognition of being a student athlete and all of the work that all of us put in,” said Fry. 

You can support students like Sydney Fry by making a gift at: giving.american.edu.