Bio
Prior to teaching at UWSP, Sydney Bueno was a special education teacher in the Glendora Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District. She was also an adjunct professor for California Polytechnic University-Pomona.
Experience and Interests
Teaching
- Assistant Professor, Special Education, UW-Stevens Point (2016-present)
- Director of Graduate Programs, UW-Stevens Point (2019-present)
- Lecturer, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2016-2016)
- Education Specialist, Goddard Middle School, Glendora Unified School District (2014-2016)
- Education Specialist, High School, California Virtual Academies (2012-2014)
- Education Specialist, Hamasaki Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (2005-2012)
Research Interests
- Graduate programs and curriculum delivery
- Meditation, Mindfulness, and Yoga in schools
- Transition for Students with Disabilities to a Four-year University
- Teacher Preparation and Teacher Education
- Self-Determination and Perseverance
- RTI in the Elementary and Middle Grades
Awards
- Outstanding Teacher Educator Award, Aspiring Educators (2019)
Presentations and Publications
Presentations
- Bueno, S. A. (2016, April). Supporting first-generation college students with disabilities on their path to college through pivotal moments. Council for Exceptional Children’s National Conference, St. Louis, MO.
- Bueno, S. A. (2016, April). First-generation college students with disabilities attending a four-year college: Their stories. Council for Exceptional Children’s National Conference, St. Louis, MO.
- Bueno, S. A. (2015, November). Portraits of first- generation, four-year college students with disabilities: Triumphs and challenges. Council for Exceptional Children’s Teacher Education Division, National Conference, Tempe, AZ.
- Bueno, S. A. (2015, November). Changing the educational trajectory of first-generation college students: The pivotal moments theory. Council for Exceptional Children’s Teacher Education Division, National Conference, Tempe, AZ.
- Duniven, R. R., & Bueno, S. A. (2014, November). EL or LD: The disproportionality of LD labeling of Latino students in California. Council for Exceptional Children’s Teacher Education Division, National Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Publications
- Bueno, S. A. (2016). The role of relationships with institutional agents in the academic trajectory of first-generation college students with disabilities: A grounded theory study (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1790806863).
Involvement
Campus
- SOE Leadership Team Member (2019-present)
- SOE Graduate Leadership Team Member (2019-present)
- Director of Graduate and Innovative Programs (2019-present)
- Harju Endowment committee (2019-present)
- Dissertation Committee Member – Lynn Payne (2019-present)
- Thesis Committee Member – Rola Al-Smadi 2019
- Presentation, UWSP Foundation Board of Directors Meeting (2019)
- Graduate Council Member (2019-2020)
- CPS Diversity Council (2018-present)
- Puzzles, Co-Adviser (2018-2020)
- SOE Personnel Committee, member (2016-present)
- SOE Scholarship reader (2016-present)
- Student Council for Exceptional Children, Co-Adviser (2016-2020)
Community
- Destination Imagination, co-leader, Jefferson Elementary (2017-2018)
Professional Memberships
- WI-CEC Conference Committee/Membership Chair (2018-present)
- Member, Council for Learning Disabilities (2018-present)
- Independent Auditor, Project SEEDS (2017-present)
- Faculty Reviewer – TED Kaleidoscope Forum (2017-present)
- Journal Reviewer – International Journal of Special Ed (2016-present)
- Co-President – Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus (CEC) (2015-2018)
- Member, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (2012-present)
- CEC Teacher Education Division
- CEC Division on Career Development and Transition
- CEC Division of Behavior Disorders
- CEC Division for Learning Disabilities
Fun Facts
Last book you read?
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
Best advice you ever received?
Success doesn’t always come to those who are the “best” at something, but it does come to those who persist.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A professional dancer, a veterinarian, a heart surgeon, a professional dancer, and then a teacher.
Favorite Quote?
Little by little a little becomes a lot. – Tanzanian proverb
One thing about your school that you are most proud of?
Everyone in the School of Education is focused on the student. We LOVE our students. I am also very proud that I work alongside not only compassionate but intelligent and kind individuals.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
The students, the students, the students. I love to be around people, I love learning, I love reading, and I love that I have students who are dedicated to the same profession that I am dedicated to. The students.
A piece of advice for students in your school?
Do not take for granted the time you have here in school. Engage even when you don’t feel like it. Push yourself, make mistakes, get up, and try again. Know that your time, dedication, and challenges now will only help you to become a better teacher for your future students.