Congratulations to Andrew Vassiliadis ’01 and Sydney Thomas ’06, Parker’s 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients.
The Outstanding Alumni Award is given to the alumni who embody the ideals of intellect, initiative, and social responsibility, which are the essence of a Parker education. They exemplify the School’s core values through excellence and selfless service in their careers and lives. They show a commitment to their community and/or Parker and strive toward local or national recognition.
Andrew Vassiliadis ’01 grew up playing soccer and developed a love for the sport. After college, Andrew launched a career in the entertainment business as a DJ and event producer for events around the world. He found himself drawn back to soccer. He was the youngest owner of a United Soccer League Team, the beloved San Diego Loyal, which debuted in 2020. SD Loyal was committed to its community off the field and received many awards for their dedicated service. SD Loyal ignited the soccer community in San Diego, developing a dedicated fan base of families, friends, and soccer fans until they played its last game in 2023.
Sydney Thomas ’06 is the Founder and General Partner of Symphonic Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. She has created a distributed network invested in this space by founding a podcast where she profiles these companies, launching a newsletter where she writes about these companies, and hosting events where she organizes people who care deeply about the impact these companies can have on our society. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. This work awarded her a “Black VC’s Making an Impact” designation and a feature in Marie Claire.
Congratulations again to Sydeny and Andrew on their accomplishments. Along with the Rising Star Recipients, they will be honored at the inaugural Alumni Awards Ceremony on May 31.
