Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

Education:

• Au.D. 2026, Audiology, East Tennessee State University
• B.S. 2022, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Appalachian State University
• A.S. 2020, Science, McDowell Technical Community College

Certification/Licensure:

• ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence, Audiology
• NC license, Audiology

Specialties:

• Diagnostic Audiology
  • Pediatric
  • Adult & Geriatric
• Hearing Disorders
• Tinnitus Counseling & Management
• Emerging Hearing Aid Technologies

Biography:

Sydney Young joined the department in 2026 as a Clinical Audiologist after graduating with her Doctorate in Audiology from East Tennessee State University. Sydney attended Appalachian State University to obtain her undergraduate degree and returned to complete her fourth-year doctoral externship. Through her clinical rotations in graduate school, Sydney has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including the Mountain Home VA, ENT, private practice, nonprofit, and university clinics, advocating for and treating individuals with hearing, sound, and balance disorders across the lifespan. She has a personal connection to audiology and is passionate about providing clinical services to the community through Appalachian State University in both the Boone and Hickory locations.

When not in the audiology clinic, she likes to be outdoors, travel the world with family, and is an active youth leader at her church. On one such international trip in 2026, Sydney traveled with an interprofessional team of clinicians to provide audiological services to people in Costa Rica. Sydney's biggest takeaway from this enriching experience was that, even though audiology in Costa Rica and America differs in a few ways, at the heart are audiologists with the same desire to help others regain a crucial component of human connection: the ability to hear loved ones.