OHIO Chillicothe student finds her voice and her vocation

Inspired by a teacher who helped her embrace her uniqueness, Sydney Bush plans to bring those same supportive qualities to her teaching practice.

An Ohio University Chillicothe student preparing to enter her sophomore year, Bush is majoring in middle childhood education with concentrations in English and history. She recently applied for teacher candidacy and is already gaining classroom experience. Along the way, she discovered how her passions, from pageantry to teaching, intersect in meaningful ways.

“I chose middle childhood education because I think that’s where kids need the most help,” she said. “They’re in a really hard spot in their lives … and having a teacher who cares can make an incredible difference.”

A graduate of Unioto High School, Bush began at OHIO Chillicothe last year and quickly adapted to the demands of college, including a hybrid mix of in-person and online coursework. Along the way, she found mentors and moments that affirmed her decision to teach.

One came in an introduction to education course with Jeanie Dalton, an adjunct instructor and retired public-school teacher whose daughter, Kendra (Dalton) Landrum, taught Bush in fourth grade. 

Bush said she was bullied in elementary school for her style and personality, but Landrum helped her embrace what made her unique.

“She always inspired me to be myself,” she said. “That’s why I want to be a teacher — to help students understand that they don’t have to change who they are.”

Dalton said Bush shows a passion and commitment for education. 

"Sydney will bring creativity, confidence, and passion to the teaching profession," Dalton said.

Through years of participating in pageants, Bush has developed confidence, leadership skills, and a commitment to service that now inform her approach to teaching.

She won the title of Little Miss Queen of the Feast of the Flowering Moon at age eight. Since then, she has earned multiple titles and most recently was crowned Miss Hometown Hearts Queen. Through the program, she represents her community across Ohio and leads Project Kindness, a service initiative focused on outreach efforts such as Operation Christmas Child and support for local food and clothing pantries.

“It’s about letting people know they are cared for,” Bush said.

Through her pageant work, Bush has traveled across the state, built lasting friendships and connected her advocacy to real community impact. She hopes to compete in the Miss America pageant eventually.

“I’ve watched Miss America every year growing up,” she said. “It inspired confidence in me.”

Her confidence is deeply tied to those experiences, according to Bush.

“Pageants helped me find myself,” Bush said. “I don’t think I’d have the confidence I have now without them.”

She challenges stereotypes about pageantry, viewing it as a platform for growth and service.

“It’s not about looking a certain way. It’s about what you can do for your community.”

Bush has brought her experiences into the classroom. In public speaking, she shared her pageant background in an informative speech, reinforcing her confidence as a communicator.

"Sydney is a stellar student,” Instructor Anne Greenleaf said. “She has a heart for children as is evident in her community service efforts."

Bush is also gaining practical experience, working as an assistant teacher in a preschool classroom and recently earning her substitute teaching license.

“If I can handle preschoolers, I can handle anything,” she said with a laugh.

Through those roles, she is already shaping her teaching philosophy.

“If you’re kind to students, they’ll be kind back,” she said. “You have to show that you care.”

Outside the classroom, Bush continues to pursue the arts, having sung opera since childhood and performed in musical theater. Her favorite high school theater moment was playing Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” a role she says reflects her personality.

“I like to think I carry that spirit with me,” she said. “Bubbly but also determined.”