Hello everybody, my name is Sidney Abeyta and I am super stoked to be joining the SA2020 team this summer through the SA Works program. I love San Antonio and can’t wait to work with this great liaison organization for the community. I recently graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in North East Independent School District and I am very excited to help on the efforts and get others evolved in the mission and future of the Alamo City. Aside from working with the team here at SA2020, I am also interning at Firstmark Credit Union as a marketing intern as well. Unlike most recent grads who are vacationing and prepping for the transition to college (something I’ve yet to do!), I want to make the most of time outside of school by gaining and developing my skills and growing professionally.
What I love so much about SA2020 is how impactful they are in the city. Their presence in all aspects to get San Antonio to align, engage, and impact the community is phenomenal. SA2020 is committed to acknowledging the input from us—yes you!—and putting our ideas and measuring progress so the future of our city continually progresses. SA2020 prides itself on tracking the progress of its 59 indicators. Indicators, in another sense, are areas of concentration that citizens collaborated on to see future change in our city. These can include aspects from education, arts & culture, civic engagement and many more. A few of the indicators really speak boldly to me as I am very passionate about them and will share my experiences about them.
Growing up, my parents plugged me into sports in efforts to get me active and plugged in after school. Years later, I haven’t stopped! In high school I played varsity lacrosse, softball, and even threw a few field events in track and field. My passion for sports has evolved and I used to be a volunteer coach, providing children and teens with a fun opportunity to exercise and compete. Like many children in my city, obesity rates have risen and the personal connection I have with this passion for health and fitness has inspired me to help others.
Flashback to months ago where I presented my statement to the City Council and was appointed to the fitness board. I used to work closely with Fit City SA, and the Mayor’s Fitness Council to do just that. We targeted many schools and communities and provided them healthy lifestyle education, disease awareness, health screenings, and many city-wide opportunities to get active for free.
Being appointed and working as a student ambassador on the Mayor’s Fitness Council was very meaningful to me because of San Antonio’s obesity rates. That’s where creation of Get Up and Go! started. My school club and anticipated for non-profit that promoted healthy lifestyles through education and social change. This passion for sports I had from a young age revolutionized my life and gave me greater future. As the founder and former executive director, my partner and I presented our ideas to the council and were granted money to turn our idea into reality. Being able to share my story and help my community in something I love and is the cause area that speaks to me the most. You can catch me mainly at the YMCA of San Antonio doing their CrossFit Y-Fit classes, yoga, and Zumba.
Although this is one of my passions, I don’t plan on pursuing anything careers wise in the field of exercise science for my education. This coming fall, I will commence my undergraduate studies in Economics with a minor in Art/Design. Indulging in my two divergent passions: economics/business and art. One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that the scales of my interests seem to be balanced. I love art and design, but I also love learning about micro trade and economic principals. The closest I’ve ever come to an ideal learning experience came this past summer at the Free Market Institute and introduction to Economics and Classical Liberalism at Texas Tech University, where I will be attending this fall. Art and economics may seem unrelated, but I want to make an in-depth study of both in college.
In high school, I took art every year, ranging from painting, sculpture, and two years of AP Studio Art classes. I’ve dabbled from print-making, sterling silver jewelry making, western art, to modern concentrations with impasto techniques. I even served as an officer for my school’s chapter of National Art Honor Society and Interact (Rotary Club). I’ve competed at the state and local level in the TAEA VASE competition (Texas Art Education Association -Visual Art Scholastic Event). Both of these are indicators that SA2020 concentrates on; Economic Competitiveness and Arts & Culture and I hold very dear to my heart. You’ll see me a lot at the McNay Art Museum, ArtPace, and the Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex seeing the latest work or enjoying decaf coffee at various places in the city.
I have big plans and can’t wait to see what the future entails—uncertainty and all. In terms of a career one day, I am still uncommitted in those pursuits. Law school is still an idea but it’s too premature to be definitive. People continually ask me about this and the honest answer is one big question mark. Who knows. Maybe I’ll become a journalist, or open my own boutique or even run for office one day!
I live by the motto “expansion: always- in all ways” and strive for excelsior; Latin for upward, in all my work and life aspects! Again, I am very fortunate to have this position here at SA2020. Feel free to follow my experience here as I blog about it.
