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Working with Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, Carthage helped to make an ailing future student’s wish come true.

Carthage and Make-A-Wish Wisconsin organized a special campus tour for Sydney Bolyard, second fro... Carthage and Make-A-Wish Wisconsin organized a special campus tour for Sydney Bolyard, second from left, and her family on July 24, 2020. They even got to paint Kissing Rock.Staff from the Office of Admissions gave Sydney Bolyard and her family a special campus tour on Friday, July 24, and arranged for her to paint Kissing Rock with her favorite colors: pink and blue. Sydney, who has severe idiopathic aplastic anemia, was admitted to Carthage for fall 2021 and has already paid her deposit.

Chauffeured to campus in a limousine, Sydney was joined by her mother, Jackie, who earned a certificate in paralegal studies at Carthage; her father, Chris; her older sister Taylor ’18; and her dog Stella, a Pomeranian she adopted for emotional support.

Because of a compromised immune system that forced her into home quarantine even before COVID-19 struck, the family opted for an outdoor-only tour. The Make-A-Wish team also organized a shopping spree so Sydney could get a laptop and furnishings for what she hopes will be a residential Carthage experience.

Here, the rising high school senior tentatively plans to combine a major in biology with a pre-law concentration. A staunch advocate for animals, she regularly donates to no-kill shelters and other conservation groups and has volunteered at the humane society.

We can’t wait to see you again a year from now, Sydney!

Carthage and Make-A-Wish Wisconsin organized a special campus tour for Sydney Bolyard and her fam...

Carthage and Make-A-Wish Wisconsin organized a special campus tour for Sydney Bolyard and her fam...