Sydney Valone

B.A. '23

Environmental Studies and Geography

Sydney Valone is a third year undergraduate at UCLA, majoring in Environmental Studies and Geography, with a double minor in Global Studies and Environmental Systems and Society. Sydney has always been passionate about the environment; she is now interested in the pursuit of solutions for global environmental degradation and climate issues. Sydney seeks to find the point where the profitability of a major corporation and the sustainability of the environment can merge. Currently, she is working toward this goal with the Corporate Partners Program at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability to research the reduction of single use plastics and the use of alternatives at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Sydney has become interested in research after serving as an intern for Environment America as well as Planet Systems Consulting in the past year; she has had the opportunity to study deforestation in the boreal forest as a result of certain industries and how to advise companies on the best environmentally-conscious practices. Aside from her studies, Sydney’s study abroad experience in Spain and traveling with family has allowed her to see the global environment firsthand. From learning about logging and deforestation in Canada from her grandfather to witnessing poor recycling and waste disposal habits in Central and South American cities, Sydney values the global perspectives she has gained while traveling and learning about global cultures. Ultimately, Sydney hopes to find a solution at the intersection of sustainable business practices and profitability as a sustainability manager for a corporation in the future.