As our seniors approach the end of their high school years, we shine our spotlight on one of Concord High School’s most extraordinary seniors, Rylee Sinden, whose journey from kindergarten to this point has been nothing short of remarkable.
Sinden has attended Concord since kindergarten and is widely known for her outstanding academics, exceptional leadership, and ability to show her love and care for everyone around her. This is one of the main reasons Sinden won Homecoming Queen this year!
Sinden has also been involved in many extracurricular activities. She has played volleyball for four years and describes it as her favorite sport. So much so that she also participated in club volleyball from a very young age. On top of that, she has run track for three years and played golf for two. Now, Sinden plans to continue her volleyball career on Adrian College’s club volleyball team. Sinden also explains, “I have been involved with the student council for four years and the National Honor Society for two years as well. I am currently the secretary for both.”
When asked about her favorite class, Sinden mentioned that she enjoys any class with Mrs. O, Plant Science with Mrs. Colangelo, Environmental Science with Mrs. Fiero, and Multimedia Publications with Ms. Kelly.
Sinden joined Multimedia Publications as a sophomore and has been an integral part of the course in its first three years, serving as the editor of the Chronicle for the past two years. She describes this class as one of her favorites. The teacher, Ms. Kelly explains that she credits much of the success of the class to Sinden’s dedication: “Rylee has always been willing to jump into a story, redesign a yearbook page, or peer behind the lens of a camera to capture a senior photo of a classmate. It’s been an absolute honor to watch her grow into such a confident and hard-working young woman. I know she will take all of her skills and positive traits to Adrian and contribute on their campus as significantly as she has here. I am truly going to miss her.”
When asked about her post-graduation plans, Sinden shared, “I have received a full-ride scholarship to Adrian College, which I will attend. While there, I plan to play volleyball and study environmental science.” When asked what made her decide on her career path, she answered, “I have always loved nature and have known that I wanted to do something in that field since I was little.” She continues, “ I was especially interested in plants and how they affect our ecosystem.”
Despite Sinden’s busy schedule, she mentions that she still creates time to hang out with friends and family. Some of her favorite things to do include hanging out with friends, paddle boarding in the summer, camping with friends and family, gardening, working her family’s donut truck, and hanging out with her club volleyball team.
Senior Ella Woolworth is one of Sinden’s closest friends. They are childhood best friends and spend a lot of their time together. When Woolworth was asked what she enjoyed most about being Rylee’s friend, she stated, “I enjoy how fun, caring, and sweet she is and how she is always down to have a good time.” Woolworth also explained that some of her favorite memories with Rylee were created from showing pigs at fair and going on camping trips together in the summer.
Sophomore Macy Sinden is not only Rylee’s little sister but also her built-in best friend. Macy explains, “Growing up with Rylee was my favorite. We’ve shared so many late drives, inside jokes, vacations, midnight snacks, and movie nights. It doesn’t matter where we live, we’ll always be best friends.” Macy continues, “But I am going to miss walking right across the hall to see her.”
Sinden’s parents are also very important people in her life. They have watched her grow every step of the way and are now cheering for her as she moves on to the next stage of her life. Brianne Sinden is Rylee’s mom, and she explains what she is most proud of her for: “I am so proud of her inner growth. Growing up, she was shy and reserved. She didn’t like getting out of her comfort zone or trying new things. Now, she sees every challenge as a way to grow and learn. She now thrives on new opportunities and experiences.” Brianne also gives some words of advice as Rylee moves on to college, “Make sure to enjoy every minute of it! Find that balance between working hard to achieve academic goals and creating relationships and life-long memories.”
Sinden’s dad, Steve Sinden, was questioned as well. He explained what he loves most about his oldest daughter, “I love her kindness, she has a big heart and will do anything for anybody. She genuinely cares about everybody.” He also mentions that he is extremely proud of her work ethic and effort to excel at everything she does.
Finally, Sinden has decided to leave some words of advice to the younger students of Concord. She says, “High school goes by really fast, so make the most of the time you have. Make sure to make as many memories as you can, and be sure to have fun.”
Thank you, Rylee, for all you have done here at Concord, and as your friend, I wish you the best of luck in the future. I will miss you so much and hope you have an amazing time at Adrian. Love you!
