Focused: First-generation college student closing in on engineering degree

Sydney Lucas is a first-generation college student and Porter Scholar. She stays active on campus, serving as operations vice president for the Speed School Student Council, which correlates with a senator position on the Student Government Association. 

She has also finished three co-op rotations, including two with the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center. Now, she's closing in on a degree in bioengineering, which she calls a "perfect fit" for her.

"Bioengineering is such a great field because it's so broad and open. It opens you up to doing either the basic science side and research, it offers the more technical side, if you went into pharmaceuticals or something like that. It's also directly still correlated with patients and helping people," Lucas said. 

Lucas is on track to graduate in May. She then plans to pursue her master's degree, also in bioengineering. 

Check out more of her story below: