It's weird to ponder that a split last minute decision made by my parents created what would be my identity forever. Moments before I was born, my parents switched my name from Samantha to Sydney. My dad told me that he has always loved the name Sydney and felt at that moment he couldn’t name his daughter anything else. I have always liked my name growing up, but learning it means “open meadow” made me truly connect with it as an identity (Sydney). 

  When I imagine an open meadow, I think of an abundance of space to explore and be free. This really resonated with me because I love to try new things and explore opportunities. As I’ve gotten older, having the freedom to explore who I really am is important to me. I can imagine myself alone in a meadow trying different things, experiencing trial and error, and facing no judgment for finding my passions. 

  As much as I always thought my name to be original, in 2004 it was one of the top 30 names in the country (Popular Names). Until an older age, no one I had met had been named Sydney except for one girl in my class that spelt it Sidney (I always liked my spelling better). Both of my brothers have names that start with D, Derek and Dylan, so for a while I felt left out that I too didn’t have a D name. 

After learning more about my first name, it made me wonder if my middle name had any type of relation. “Scholar” was the meaning behind the name Skyler which, obviously, I loved (Skyler). I do think this has a correlation because school is very important to me, and that is where a lot of my opportunities will come from. Together, both of the meanings behind my names, are important aspects that will drive me to find my ultimate self. I feel connected with the meanings, and feel like Sydney Skyler is a perfect fit for me.