Sydney Bankert earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Penn State Berks on Saturday, Dec. 21, during the college’s fall 2024 commencement ceremony at the Santander Arena in Reading.
WYOMISSING, Pa. — Sydney Bankert’s journey to graduation had some twists and turns. She earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Penn State Berks on Saturday, Dec. 21, during the college’s commencement ceremony at the Santander Arena in Reading.
A native of Hanover, Pennsylvania, Bankert originally planned to follow in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother and other members of her extended family into a career in teaching. She decided to pursue a degree at Kutztown University, but in her second year, she realized that being a teacher, though a noble pursuit, was just not for her.
Spending most of her life as an athlete, Bankert played soccer from the age of six, and she was always curious about exercise and how it affects the body. After careful research, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career as a physical therapist. After reviewing her options, Bankert was impressed with the kinesiology program at Penn State Berks and decided to enroll.
Bankert excelled academically at Penn State Berks. She was a member of the Berks Honors Program, maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average until her graduation. She also conducted research with Praveen Veerabhadrappa, associate professor of kinesiology, on the future of artificial intelligence in physical therapy. As part of the research, she studied the effectiveness of an app called ‘Exer Health.’ The app was designed to help physical therapy patients do their exercises at home.
“Dr. V was an incredible mentor throughout my entire research journey. He gave me unwavering guidance and support throughout the entire process and always pushed me to do my best. Doing undergraduate research taught me resilience and helped me develop leadership, organization and communication skills,” Bankert said.
Bankert also served as secretary of the campus Kinesiology Club.
In fact, she became very involved in the campus community from the start. In her second semester, she joined the prestigious Lion Ambassadors, an organization of student tour guides and ambassadors for the college.
She also put her desire to help others to work by joining Berks Benefitting THON, a student organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the fight against childhood cancer. She joined the executive board where she served as the fundraising executive for two years, and during one of those years, she also served as the co-special events executive. This past February, she was chosen as one of the Berks dancers for THON and was tasked, along with her team, with dancing for 46 hours straight. In February 2024, THON raised more than $16.9 million for pediatric cancer, with Berks Benefitting THON raising over $34,000.
“THON is an incredible organization that I’ve had the privilege of being a part of for last two and half years. The fight against childhood cancer is a cause that is very close to my heart. I’ve gotten know the families and the kids that Berks Benefitting THON represents,” Bankert said.
“These kids and their families are incredible people, and I will never stop fighting for them. One of my biggest honors was being selected to represent Berks and our families as a dancer at THON 2024. Berks Benefitting THON has given me my best friends and relationships that I will have for the rest of my life. They are my family, and I will forever be grateful for them and this organization.”
Her contributions to the campus didn’t end there. Along with THON, Bankert was a member of the college’s Orientation Leaders, serving as assistant color captain, color captain and a member of the lead team for two Welcome Weekends.
All Bankert’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed: She was the recipient of multiple college awards. For her contribution to the campus, she received the Campus Life Rising Star Award. She also received an Erickson Discovery Grant, an award to incentivize on-campus research, and the Kinesiology Underclassman Award, which is presented to students excelling in the field of kinesiology.
This past summer, Bankert completed an internship at OSS Health in her hometown of Hanover, where she worked as a rehab technician. She was tasked with helping patients go through their exercises. In fact, she is returning to work at OSS Health, though at a different location, while she completes required classes in preparation for graduate school.
"I hope to use the skills and knowledge I have gained from Penn State Berks in graduate school and in my career as a physical therapist," said Bankert, who will begin her studies at the University of South Carolina in fall 2025. Her goal is to earn a doctorate in physical therapy with a specialization in either pediatric or athletic physical therapy.
