Sydney Pincay excels at seeing where she can make a difference and stepping in to make it happen. As Executive Assistant to Park Manager at Carowinds, she is known for her initiative, adaptability, and willingness to take on challenges well beyond the traditional scope of her role. From supporting park operations and tackling staffing needs to mobilizing employees around meaningful community service, Sydney brings people together, finds solutions, and leads through action.

That willingness to take on a challenge was especially evident when Carowinds was preparing for its 2025 season. The park's Food and Beverage team had set a goal of hiring 20 new leaders before the season began. Although recruiting for the department was outside Sydney's normal responsibilities, she took the challenge personally.

Working alongside the Food and Beverage and Human Resources teams, Sydney helped organize a hiring event designed to build the leadership team needed to open and operate the park's restaurants successfully. Despite expectations that turnout could be limited, nearly 200 candidates attended the event, resulting in 45 leaders hired in a single day, more than double the original goal!

That same determination carries into one of Sydney's greatest passions: giving back to the community.

As chair of the Carowinds Cares Committee, Sydney helps lead the park's efforts to support youth, families, nonprofits, and charitable organizations throughout the Carolinas. She has coordinated opportunities ranging from school and hospital visits to fundraising events, donation drives, and hands-on volunteer projects.

In 2025 alone, Sydney helped bring Carowinds employees together for two Habitat for Humanity build days, contributing more than 250 collective volunteer hours toward a home build. She has also coordinated visits and donations to local schools and organizations, including efforts supporting the Rock Hill Schools Foundation, and led a park fundraiser benefiting Race Against Hunger that raised $2,500 in less than seven hours.

Sydney has also led a book drive for Promising Pages, collecting more than 400 new and gently used books in its first week. Some of her most meaningful experiences, however, have come through visits to Levine Children's Hospital. During one visit, Sydney dressed as Snoopy and helped distribute plush toys to children receiving care. Later, the team heard from the mother of a young patient who noticed a heart on the back of her Snoopy and connected it to her own experience undergoing heart surgeries and treatment. Moments like that are what continue to fuel Sydney's commitment to service.

At Carowinds, Sydney has also pursued training across different areas of park operations, including ride safety, security, and food and beverage. That willingness to understand the work happening throughout the organization reflects her approach to leadership: titles and job descriptions do not define where someone can make an impact.

For Sydney, that example is especially important as a mother of two young daughters. She hopes to show them that creating a positive impact does not always require a grand gesture, it can begin simply by choosing to use your time, talents, and energy to make someone else's day a little brighter.

Whether she is helping solve an operational challenge at Carowinds, bringing employees together to serve their community, or stepping behind a counter because a team needs an extra hand, Sydney leads through action. Her willingness to say "I can do it," and then find a way to make it happen, reflects exactly why she is one of York County's Ones to Watch.