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Big City,
Big Stage

Sydney Holmes speaking on stage with a book Sydney Holmes sitting in a field
Sydney Holmes during her standup comedy shows in New York City.

Sydney Holmes (BA Journalism, 2013), placed second in New York City’s “Greatest New Comedian 2014” competition in January 2014.

“I was directly contacted by the comedy club owner for this competition,” Holmes said. “He had seen a few of my videos online and invited me to compete. It is kind of weird and cool when people know who you are in the comedy scene.”

Paul Hunton, production director at KTTZ, taught Holmes while she was a student at Texas Tech. Holmes was a student in Hunton’s Video Production and Editing course. He said he enjoyed having Holmes as a student and appreciated her personality in the classroom.

“Sydney brought comedy to class every day,” Holmes said. “Her style of comedy is very observational. She always had some sort of comment about me or the class every day.”

Sarah Scroggins (BA Journalism, 2013) knew Holmes during their undergrad years and also lives in New York. Holmes and Scroggins became friends while taking the same classes and working at The Hub@TTU, a College of Media & Communication student-run web site, together.

“Sydney and I became friends during undergrad,” Scroggins said. “I had an internship in New York with CBS radio and I helped Sydney get the same internship for the summer after me. Sydney is now one of my bridesmaids in my wedding. We are pretty good friends.”

“I think comedy is always something that Sydney has been interested in,” Scroggins said. “I think her friends have always told her that she is funny and it has been a dream of Sydney’s. So, I think she thought ‘when in Rome.’ She has gotten better and better after each show. Eventually, people began calling to book her. She had a dream and she followed through with it.”

Holmes now leads the internal public relations division for Urban Compass, an apartment rental startup based in New York City, as public relations manager. She has been working there since July of 2014. But in her spare time, she keeps working on other projects.

“I am currently working on a screenplay with friends,” Holmes said. “I also have some sitcom ideas and I blog. I think humor is the biggest part of my personality. My humor is something I have always wanted to utilize in any job that I am in.”

Hunton said Holmes told him about her plans to move to New York before she graduated. Hunton said he encourages students to chase their dreams and Holmes is an example of that.

“I was not surprised when I heard Sydney had done well in a comedy competition,” Hunton said. “She is full of charm, humor and wit. She has a magnetic personality and no fear. I knew she would be successful in New York and in her comedy career.”

Holmes never doubted she would tackle the challenges.

“People will tell you that you can’t do things,” Holmes said. ‘That is something that I have never really subscribed to. People will plant doubts in your head. But if you still want to do it, then do it!”

Moving across the nation can be intimidating.
However, one former Texas Tech student is thriving in New York City and has even made a name for herself as an up and coming comedian.

Sydney Holmes speaking on stage Sydney Holmes speaking on stage

Holmes said her journalism experience has helped her when writing jokes and practicing her routine. She said journalism has taught her skills that she can apply to comedy that other comedians might not possess.

“Journalism taught me how to be concise,” Holmes said. “I have learned how to not become attached to the words that I write. If a joke is taking me longer to set up than it needs to, I can just strike it. I just have around 10 minutes on stage. So, journalism has taught me how to make my routine as clean and concise as possible.”

“I try to make my set as conversational as possible,” Holmes said. “At the end of the day, I write it. You just can’t overthink it because then you become mechanical and do not interact with the audience. I try to give the illusion that my set is the first time that I have thought of it.”

Holmes said luck has been one reason why she has become so successful in New York. She said she is thankful that she had the support of friends and family when making the move from Texas to New York.

“I am fortunate that I live in the most amazing city in the world,” Holmes said. “I still have moments where I can’t believe it. Finding a place to live and a job was hard. I have lived in a NYU dorm and on a couch. But, it all just fell into place one day. My new place and job have been great.”

Holmes said she would eventually like to make comedy her full-time career. She thinks the world is ready for a comedian with her type of humor.

“There are not very many female comedians that I love,” Holmes said. “I think there is a wide-open market for female comedians with my type of comedy. Most of the popular female comedians are a little vulgar and I try to go a different direction by just focusing on real-life experiences.”

Holmes has learned to relax a little bit and has realized that there is not a daily struggle to become the most successful of her peers. She also has a few words of advice for current Texas Tech students.

“I recommend that students become friends with their professors,” Holmes said. “You can learn a lot from them. I think getting to know your professors can also make the college feel smaller. I feel like I have people invested in my career and future since getting to know some of my former professors.”

“I also like the idea that there is not a set amount of success in the world,” Holmes said. “I used to get upset when I saw people moving to New York or doing things I wanted to do. I have since learned that there is room for everybody to do what they want and be successful at it. Hard work is still necessary but it takes the pressure of constant competition off a little bit.”

(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.)