Sydney Bowles '26
Aggie Women's Basketball guard is engineering a bright future
By Thomas Dick
"I would like to major in engineering."
The phrase spoken by an incoming freshman left athletics staff saddled with the well-intentioned concern that many athletic programs share across the country. Typically, the advice following would be to steer a student-athlete to a more manageable major as they juggle the task of being a student and an athlete.
When Aggie Women's Basketball's Sydney Bowles offered up that sentiment upon enrolling at Texas A&M, she enjoyed a much different experience.
“When I told them I was going to major in engineering they were like, 'Ok, you want to do this, we are going to make sure you are doing your best at it no matter what',” Bowles said. “Even though it is a tough major, they still want me to have a really good GPA and not just get by, so they are all-in on nurturing my success.”
The Aggie coaches and support staff showed their dedication to helping Bowles traverse her selected path.
“I think being a student-athlete in the first place is tough, but engineering is really no joke,” Bowles said. “But I have all the support I need with our learning center. I am in there all the time, every day. Sometimes my appointment is only an hour, but I will be there three or four hours just trying to get things right.”
Surviving the first year, Bowles is excited for all the engineering school has to offer going forward. This summer, Bowles found out she is steering toward mechanical engineering.
“I am really open to learning in all areas of engineering, but mechanical is my preference,” Bowles said. “Mechanical engineering is everywhere. It is one of the most diverse kinds of engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers touch pretty much every single business.”
"The foundation that Texas A&M helps you build is amazing, and I am going to make the most of everything Aggieland has to offer."
Her path toward engineering was a no-brainer for someone who grew up attracted to math and science. As a child, nothing got Bowles more excited than multiplication tables.
“I have always had a competitive spirit,” she said. “When we got a new set of multiplication tables, I wanted to finish first. I think it is super rewarding when you have a really difficult problem and you are able to solve it.”
Her pursuit of academic excellence has been facilitated along the way by her parents. Her father, Leon, is an electrical engineer, and her mother, Tara, is an attorney.
“My dad and my brother would help me with my math homework,” Bowles said. “And my mother would always help me with papers. They really helped me establish good work habits on the school side.”
A native of Georgia who was committed to play for A&M head coach Joni Taylor while she was still coaching the Lady Bulldogs, Bowles had to make a quick adjustment when coming to Aggieland. After experiencing a bit of homesickness early on, she adapted to life in the Brazos Valley with the help of her new Aggie family.
“I tell people all the time that I would not want to play for or be around any other coaching staff in the country,” Bowles said. “I really love them, and they are so nurturing on and off the court. They really create a family-like environment. They kept me levelheaded throughout the craziness of the first year in the classroom and a difficult season on the court.”
In a season which the program was hit by a rash of injuries, Bowles was a stalwart, one of only three Aggies to appear in all 29 games. She led the team with 29 starts and 853 minutes on the court. Bowles also scored the most points and ranked third on the team in scoring average with 9.1 points per game.
“At the time it was very trying,” Taylor said. “But you look at her now, playing every game and getting all those minutes was invaluable. You think about how she will be playing by the end of her sophomore year and the beginning of her junior year, and she's going to be a nightmare for other teams. She's going to be that kid in this league that we are like 'Oh my gosh, is she still around?' because she got so much mileage and so much experience. She showed up every single day, practiced really hard and got better.”
Bowles, who was a keynote speaker at Champions Council Weekend in April 2023, possesses a load of gratitude for 12th Man Foundation supporters.
“Obviously the support we get from the donors is just amazing whether it is through the scholarships or the facilities,” Bowles said. “And honestly, the most underappreciated thing is the face-to-face support they always give us. I enjoyed meeting so many donors at Champions Council Weekend. They really accepted me with open arms and expressed so much support and how excited they were for the season.”
Along with her involvement at Champions Council Weekend, Bowles is embracing every opportunity to grow. In June, she took part in an NIL Summit presented by INFLCR in Atlanta, Georgia. The summit featured over 500 student-athlete delegates with over 100 speakers and more than 50 brands in attendance.
“The opportunities presented here are second to none,” Bowles said. “The foundation that Texas A&M helps you build is amazing, and I am going to make the most of everything Aggieland has to offer.”