Sydney Selby

Growing up in the suburbs of Boulder, Colorado, Sydney Selby ’25 didn’t have UMass Lowell (UML) on her college radar. But one visit to campus changed everything.

“UMass Lowell is just magical,” says Selby, who is pursuing a master’s degree in security studies after earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in just three years.

Selby knew she wanted to go to college out of state and enroll in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). When she was invited by the commander of UMass Lowell’s AFROTC Detachment 345 to visit the school, Selby had to check a map.

“I had never heard of UMass Lowell, but I decided to visit on a random Friday during my senior year of high school,” says Selby, who liked what she saw.

“I toured the criminal justice department and was immediately sold. I was like, ‘I love it here. I want to come to school here,’” says Selby, who received an AFROTC scholarship. “It was my first college offer, and it just felt perfect immediately.”

The Honors College student threw herself into campus life, balancing rigorous academics — and a 3.99 grade point average (GPA) — with her commitment to Detachment 345. Selby quickly rose through the ranks, serving as First Sergeant, Executive Officer and Wing Commander.

“It’s a small detachment, only about 35 cadets, but that makes it really tight-knit. It feels like family,” says Selby, who doesn’t come from a military family. She says growing up about 80 miles north of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is what drew her to the service.

Beyond ROTC, Selby interned with the UMass Lowell Police Department (UMLPD) as a Moloney Student Scholar, gaining firsthand experience with community policing.

“I loved seeing how UMLPD collaborates with Lowell Police and the (Lowell National Historical) Park Rangers,” she says.

Selby minored in Arabic studies and has studied the Arabic language in Oman and Morocco through Air Force-funded study abroad programs.

“I’m not fluent yet, but that’s my goal,” she says. “Arabic is a highly strategic language, especially for intelligence work.”

She plans to commission as a second lieutenant after finishing her master’s degree and hopes to work in Air Force intelligence — possibly overseas.

“I’ll go anywhere. I’m just ready to travel,” she says.

Among her favorite UML memories is delivering the student address at her undergraduate (2025) Commencement.

“It was nerve-wracking but amazing,” she says. “The energy from the crowd was unbelievable.”

Now, as she looks ahead to a career of service, Selby says she’ll carry the lessons she learned at UMass Lowell wherever she goes.

“Everything just fell into place for me here,” she says. “I’ve grown so much more confident and comfortable leading others.”