F&M Stories
Leveraging the Diplomat Network, On and Off the Court
Growing up in Harlem, Asad “Sid” Syed ’27 learned early what determination looks like. His father emigrated from Pakistan in the late 1980s with few possessions but plenty of ambition. He built a career as an entrepreneur advising small businesses whose owners wanted to open new retail locations. Syed calls him his hero — the person whose drive, grit, and willingness to work shaped Syed’s own goals and ambitions.
Syed knew early on that he’d have to mirror that attitude if he wanted to attend a college with a strong reputation. He thinks he was in the seventh or eighth grade when it clicked that he’d have to be both a solid student and a quality athlete to have the best chance at success. He continued to improve upon both traits, eventually joining a competitive basketball team that traveled extensively around the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. It was during a tournament in Pittsburgh that F&M first appeared on his radar, when he connected with F&M coaches there to scout talent.
“I got on the phone with [former F&M Men’s Basketball] Coach Nichay and told him I was going to commit,” Syed remembered. “I said, ‘I love F&M. You guys are awesome. I love everything about the school.’ The rest was history.”
Naturally, Syed found his first community on campus through the College’s basketball teams. That early support system helped him settle into college life and gave him the confidence to branch out, both academically and socially.
“I said, ‘I love F&M. You guys are awesome. I love everything about the school.’ The rest was history.”
Basketball also introduced Syed to F&M’s extensive alumni network. Alumni like Chris Finch ’92, head coach of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, and longtime supporters of Diplomat Athletics David Albright ’82, Pete Deutsch ’84, and Mike Dee ’85 have connected with the team and helped him think more intentionally about his future.
Finch visited with the team during 2025’s True Blue Weekend to provide some perspective on his own career and offer advice in a pivotal moment for the team: They were coming off a championship season — the first in a decade — and were understandably feeling pressure to continue performing at a high level.
“One of the things he asked us that’s really stuck is ‘are we a team that just won a championship or are we a championship team?’” Syed reflected. He said that distinction continues to guide him as he considers what it means to grow, improve and sustain excellence.
Off the court, Syed has built another layer of community through academics. His classes with Assistant Professor of Economics Danish Khan have been especially impactful. Khan, he said, has a gift for making complex material accessible — and for showing up for students where they are. Syed often sees Khan, with his family, cheering at men’s basketball games.
“It was really cool, especially while I was in one of his courses, to see my teacher in the crowd cheering for us,” he said.
In consultation with the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development and in conversations with mentors like Albright, Syed — a business, organizations, and society major — is considering what his future career might entail. He’s interested in exploring risk management consulting, where he’ll be able to help others overcome challenges and continually face new and interesting problems to solve.
“I think that’s just kind of why I like it. It’s always going to be something new and challenging… I need that constant work toward getting better,” he said.
Syed is deeply grateful for the aid that made his F&M education possible.
“Receiving a scholarship and getting to college was a huge opportunity for me. I don’t think I would’ve been able to attend F&M otherwise,” Syed shared. “It’s been a difficult process, and it definitely is not easy, but I have a good team behind me that’s supported me through everything.”
Asad “Sid” Syed ’27 found his first community on campus through the College’s basketball teams. That early support system helped him settle into college life and gave him the confidence to branch out, both academically and socially.
The F&M men's basketball team won the 2024-2025 Centennial Conference Championship.
“Receiving a scholarship and getting to college was a huge opportunity for me.”
We’re dedicated to making an F&M education affordable for all. Discover how, by offering need-based and merit-based financial aid, we’re able to welcome talented students like Asad “Sid” Syed ’27. “Receiving a scholarship and getting to college was a huge opportunity for me. I don’t think I would’ve been able to attend F&M otherwise,” Syed said.
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