Meet the Team: Sydney Eltgroth, StoryTeller’s Newest Content Associate

Meet Sydney Eltgroth, the newest member of the StoryTeller team! With a strong foundation in journalism and a passion for strategic storytelling, Sydney is a perfect fit to our team. With a love for capturing unique stories through strategic writing, she’s a valuable addition to the StoryTeller team. Continue reading to learn more about Sydney and her story.

Discovering Her Calling

Some people discover their passions early in life, and Sydney is one of those lucky few. Inspired by a transformative high school English teacher, she fell in love with literature and storytelling. Whether she was delving into the Classics or weaving her own stories, Sydney knew that writing would always be a central part of her life.

Sydney was able to nurture this love for literature when she moved from Eastern South Dakota to Mankato, MN to pursue a degree in English at Minnesota State University, Mankato. When she wasn’t in classes or studying, she enjoyed spending time with friends in her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta.

A Fresh Start

After graduation, Sydney embraced a whirlwind start to her career, moving to Rapid City, SD to work as a reporter at the KELO-TV Bureau just one week after earning her degree. “Every day brought something different,” Sydney says. “The people that I met and the stories that I covered were just so incredible and I always look back on that experience as such a blessing.”

Journalism seemed like a natural path for Sydney. Her father had been a reporter at KELO as well, and her brother had worked there as a production assistant. Continuing this family tradition felt both fitting and exciting.

Throughout her time as a bureau reporter, Sydney covered numerous impactful stories. One highlight was the return of the Mount Rushmore fireworks display in 2021, where she reported on the president’s visit to the historic event. She reflects, saying: “getting to see and be, feet away from the president of the United States at the time was just really cool.”

Another memorable story she took pride in covering was during the unprecedented 2021 drought. At the time, South Dakota had been dealing with an unusually dry agricultural stretch. In that season, farmers everywhere were struggling with crop growth. In an effort to bring it to the state’s attention, they did stories across South Dakota, focusing on farmers who had to sell valuable cattle at the beginning of the season to get by. It was a significant issue that impacted so many families across the state she felt proud to have covered, and was able to earn an Upper Midwest Regional Emmy for, as well.

From Reporting to Education

Life as a journalist is fast-paced. The job demands odd hours, and as a bureau reporter covering 5 different cities, Sydney knew she might need a change. She and her husband were considering starting a family, and she was feeling pulled to try something new. Meanwhile, her husband started a new job in Hutchinson, Minnesota, pulling them out of South Dakota and into a new state. In the summer of 2023, Sydney shifted gears, becoming a Community Engagement Officer for the Shakopee School District. In this role, she facilitated career exploration opportunities for hundreds of high school students. While she valued the chance to make an impact, she found herself missing the creative outlet of writing.

As Sydney prepared to welcome her first child, Wells, she took time to reflect on her next steps. This reflection brought her back to her true passion: storytelling.

Stepping into Content Associate

As a content associate, Sydney’s focus will be working with clients to help them tell their stories. Born and raised in a journalistic environment, she acknowledges that one of her greatest strengths is listening. She has a passion for hearing others’ stories and transforming it into something that showcases and highlights the integrity of the narrative. “It's so satisfying,” she says. “Making words and putting them together to make something sound good is something that I have always appreciated.” Known for her grammar expertise and creative flair, Sydney is ready to bring her talents to every project she touches.

Life Beyond the Desk

Sydney’s love for writing translates beyond her work. So much so that she keeps a personal journal that provides an outlet to write about everything from diving into a daily prompt to junk journaling, a form of journalistic scrapbooking. She has many notebooks that she loves to fill up.

Her favorite hobby? She says: “Being surrounded by good company. That’s my biggest hobby.” Sydney values her family and friends above all. Her husband Tom and their 9-month-old son, Wells, are a shining light in her life. She loves spending time with them whenever she can. Her extended family is also very dear to her. Bonded through a love of football and quality time together, she enjoys seeing them often and following the Minnesota Vikings.

Sydney’s journey, talents, and dedication to storytelling make her an incredible addition to the StoryTeller team. Welcome aboard, Sydney!