Berks' Best 2025 communications winner: Sydney Guida has a passion for storytelling
That is abundantly clear when she is covering a community event for the latest edition of Fleetwood High School's Tiger TV newscast. And it is evident when she is writing about the athletic achievements of her fellow students for the Fleetwood Illustrated blog.
And it is clear when she is reporting on school happenings for the Tiger Times.
'I think what I love about communication is the storytelling aspect of it,' she said. 'There are obviously a lot of different kinds of communication but, ultimately, at the core it's a form of sharing experiences with others.'
Her passion for the craft and her skill at it has earned her recognition as the Berks' Best 2025 winner in communications.
'I have a genuine love for storytelling so receiving this award means so much to me,' the 18-year-old said. 'It was in the middle of a college tour when I got the email letting me know I got it and started freaking out in front of everyone.'
Guida, who earned the title of valedictorian of her graduating class, said her love for storytelling began as a way to cope with the sudden death of her mother from a heart attack when she was just 9. She said writing became an outlet for dealing with all the changes that took place following the tragic incident.
'I have always valued memory,' she said. 'It made me sad to realize that so many important things in my life can easily be forgotten so I started journaling shortly after she passed away because it became a tangible way to keep those memories alive.
'Media, in a way, has been the way I hold onto things that I would have otherwise forgotten.'
Guida said she was shy about sharing her talent with others at first. But that changed during her sophomore year when she enrolled in a TV media course and realized she liked the way it felt to be in the spotlight.
And the instructor of that course, Sean Gaston, said he believes she has what it takes to go far in the industry.
As the communications teacher at Fleetwood High School, Gaston said he has had the pleasure of teaching Guida these past two years. And, he said, she has proved to be a fast learner with the ability to think on her feet and figure things out on her own.
'I have no doubt that Sydney will succeed in this field because she is very driven, determined, willing to learn new things and is able to work well with others,' Gaston wrote in a glowing recommendation letter.
As for the future, Guida will be attending the University of Pittsburgh in the fall to study communications. She said her dream is to be a journalist covering the entertainment industry while also continuing to write creative works of her own.
'There are a lot of things to cover in the entertainment realm,' she said. 'I really love films so I think getting to speak with directors and actors would be such a fun way to combine those two passions of mine.'
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