Harm Reduction Division Data Specialist, Fargo Cass Public Health
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: My name is Sydni May. I was born and raised in Fargo, and (despite our frigid winters) stuck around in the area after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 2014. I obtained my AAS in Healthcare Information Technology & Medical Coding and Billing from M State in 2021, and I am currently finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management and Leadership at MSUM, graduating this winter.
Professionally, I have the privilege of working for Fargo Cass Public Health in my role as a data specialist for the Harm Reduction Division. I have a strong passion for underserved populations, and data and advocacy go hand in hand. My position is the perfect opportunity to flex my analytical skills, while still getting to fill my cup through connecting with the people our programs serve.
Outside of work, I am continuously humbled by my son, Jonas (4), and daughter, Scout (3). Both of my children are strongwilled and hilarious, so my parenting style mostly consists of picking my battles while biting my lip to hold back a giggle.
Q: Who has been the most influential mentor in your life, and why?
A: Professionally, I have been blessed to work as closely as I do with the director of our division, Jan Eliassen.
Jan has developed our division and our programs from the very inception of the Gladys Ray Shelter over 15 years ago. Jan is a visionary for delivering low-barrier, traumainformed care to some of the most vulnerable and deserving populations. She has shown me that even when your most strongly held convictions are not shared at the table you are sitting at, instead of being quiet about them, that’s the time you speak up. She has also shown me what it means to be a courageous leader by accepting responsibility and criticism she often does not deserve, instead of pointing fingers and placing blame.
Jan demonstrates advocacy in action through her determination to fight for the people we serve’s right to access housing, social services, and lifesaving interventions. Through her advocacy, Jan has taught me that I don’t have to separate my passions from my profession. She has also allowed me to show myself that when I get to combine my passions with my work, it doesn’t even feel like a job.
Q: What’s a lesson you’ve learned that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
A: PATIENCE. As cliché as it is, it really is true that Rome was not built in a day. I move with a strong sense of urgency to get projects completed, but life doesn’t always work out the way I plan for it in my head. I used to really struggle going home at the end of the day if I did not feel accomplished about the status of my work. Now, I have accepted that the world will keep spinning, even if my spreadsheet is not finished.
Q: Why is our local United Way important to you?
A: The United Way of Cass-Clay is important to me because its approach to addressing the cycle of poverty is based on data and evidence. Agencies and programs that receive United Way funding are thoughtfully considered based on their proven ability to provide solutions that positively impact our community members who live in poverty.
Investing in our community is in all of our best interests. The United Way invests in our community by supporting programming that strengthens families through preventing hunger and homelessness, and providing children with the tools for success into adulthood. Collectively, with the backing from the United Way, we as a community break down barriers for our neighbors and create positive outcomes that benefit all of us.
I have seen firsthand the impact that United Way funding has provided to individuals experiencing homelessness. Initiatives backed through the United to End Homelessness campaign provide solutions to barriers that agencies otherwise would not be able to solve due to traditional funding restrictions. When agencies are able to immediately respond to urgent needs with flexible funding, system gaps are filled, and obstacles are eliminated.
Q: Finish this sentence: Lifting families out of poverty is important to me because…
A: When one of us does better, we all do better. When we set the standard that we as a community support our neighbors, we eliminate the differences that break us apart and celebrate the circumstances that bring us together. In addition, empowering families to break generational cycles fosters positive outcomes for generations to come.
