Entering her third year at Stanford, junior driver Sydney Lowell has found herself living the dream she once watched from the sidelines. As she prepares for another season in the pool and a quarter of bioengineering, she is embracing the pressure rather than running from it.
Lowell grew up in the area right by Stanford; her high school was right down the street. After exploring many sports, she dipped her toes in the pool of water polo in sixth grade, just to try it, and quickly fell in love.
“I really liked being in the water, the teamwork, the throwing and the fact that it was a challenging sport,” she said.
That summer, Lowell started playing for a local club team and over time became involved with the U.S. national team — which was a big part of her development as a player. During that time, Stanford became a goal, as she watched many of the Stanford women’s water polo games.
“It was always a dream, although I didn’t think it was necessarily possible, until it became a possibility,” said Lowell.
As with many of Stanford’s student-athletes, academics were also important for her. In high school, Lowell discovered her passion for engineering and biology. She really liked building and creating, from woodworking to cardboard projects. The opportunity to pursue the academics she wanted while playing water polo drew her to Stanford.
“I felt it was the kind of environment that would push me to grow as much as possible as an athlete, student and person,” Lowell said.
This summer, she is interning at a medical technology company, which presents a great combination of her interests in engineering and medicine. Her work has not interfered with her summer practices, however.
“It has been challenging, but also a good challenge,” Lowell said. “The experience has helped me figure out what I might want to do professionally.”
Balancing everything has been tough, but playing sports in high school already taught her how to balance school and athletics. She now carries those skills onto The Farm.
“I try to be very intentional with my time,” said Lowell. “When I’m studying, I focus on studying and avoid distractions so that I can spend less time working while being more productive.”
For Lowell, spending time with her teammates is also part of the balance that brings her joy, especially during meals.
“Those moments of connecting with people can feel like a breath of fresh air when everything gets crazy, and they’re really motivating,” she said.
Many of her teammates and friends across Stanford are dealing with the same academic pressure, but she thinks that having people in the same situation makes a huge difference. They study together and support each other when they have assignments or problem sets due.
“Having that community makes everything much more manageable and honestly, makes it more fun,” said Lowell.
Outside of academics and water polo, she is also a big reader with a long “to be read” pile. At home, she enjoys cooking and taking advantage of the hiking trails, beaches and nature of the Bay Area. Furthermore, she identifies as a pretty curious person who likes talking to people about what they find interesting or exciting; that is something she values about herself and other people.
Next quarter, Lowell is going to take one of the hardest classes in her curriculum, Chem121, a course that covers organic chemistry. Instead of thinking about the pressure it will come with, she sees it as an opportunity to make herself proud.
This new period is essentially for her preparation for the season, and she wants to approach it with a positive and excited attitude, as well as bring energy and enthusiasm to people around her. With that, she also carries along with her a definition of what success looks like in her life.
“For me, success means finding joy, recognizing the beauty in the world and finding meaning in what you do,” Lowell said. “I hope my life combines doing something meaningful and lasting with actually enjoying what I’m doing.”