What is it like to leave Park University and jump into adult life? For some, this question is right around the corner while others have already experienced it. Many Park alumni have helped, motivated, inspired and come back to the very place that helped sprout their growth. To some, that growth is job or career, but for on

e alumna it’s more than just income after college – it’s an art. That individual is Sydney Heard.

Heard graduated with a degree in criminal justice. She played for the Park basketball team all four years as a shooting guard. So how did she end up in an artistic field like photography? Why didn’t Heard pursue a career in criminal justice? During her school years, something happened to change her original goals.

While in school, Heard suffered a concussion that put her basketball career in jeopardy. She said it forced her to “look at the cup half full.” Then, four months after graduation she had a motorcycle accident. The need for knee surgery changed what she though

ht was her future path. In her time of need and desperation, an inspiration was born anew. This inspiration, in Heard’s case, was portrait photography.

When this happened, Heard decided to purchase a camera and begin freelance photography. Over time, she developed her own genre and started a professional Instagram account at @Sydney.Heard.

Heard takes her art seriously, often editing it for hours upon hours at her place in Long Beach California. That’s right Long Beach. After college, Heard got a job offer on an island to work at a zip line, dangling from 440 feet in the air. After this jump in adventure, her sights grew much deeper into her photography freelancing. Soon, a big name noticed her. That was Cordell Broadus, a son of rap artist Snoop Dogg. She took photos for him and his crew.

“It comes full circle,” Heard said of the surprising encounter. However, positive developments in one part of her life meant letting go of other passions.

“Life was unpredictable, and I just stopped playing basketball,” she said.

“I loved it and hated it. Playing for the basketball team was an incredible experience for me and I made plenty of friends naturally because I was on a team and surrounded by athletes,” Heard said.

Heard’s photography business continues to grow. She will be returning to Kansas City for a short trip on March 13-20 to take photos.

“It’s more than just smiling; its people doing something different that conveys stories with creative vibes,” she said of her photographic style.