Alumni Update: Sheridan Hayes '17
How an Education with a Global Perspective Led to a Life of Curiosity and Exploration
Guided by the global mindset she developed at Carrollwood Day School, Sheridan Hayes ‘17 has turned curiosity into a way of life. She continues to explore the world with an open mind and a fearless spirit, whether it's London’s creative studios to leading outdoor adventures across the U.S.
After graduating from Carrollwood Day School, Sheridan Hayes embraced a gap year filled with volunteering and travel, a taste of the exploration that would define her path. She went on to the University of Southern California, earning a Bachelor in Business Administration with a focus on communication design and entrepreneurial studies. “I wanted to express more of my creative side,” Sheridan recalls, a desire that eventually led her across the Atlantic to London, where she completed a Master’s in Entrepreneurship, Fashion, and Creative Studies at Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design.
Her time in London opened doors she hadn’t even imagined. An internship at Kinda Studios gave her hands-on experience designing a hotel lobby and a co-living space, sparking a fascination with how spaces can influence the way people connect. “It was all about nature immersion at the workplace,” she explains, noting the connection to her current role, where her work is fully immersed in the natural world. While Sheridan had hoped to stay in London, visa limitations nudged her toward an unexpected opportunity: applying on a whim to Backroads, where she now thrives as a trip leader guiding hiking and biking adventures.
Her work takes her across the country, from Jackson, Wyoming to the Finger Lakes in New York, Wine Country in California, and Stowe, Vermont. Between seasons, she continues to feed her curiosity, studying Spanish in Guatemala and even learning silversmithing with plans to launch her own line of rings.
Through it all, she keeps a Sylvia Plath poem close, a reminder of life’s endless possibilities:
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked... I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest…”
Reflecting on her time at CDS, Sheridan says, “My experience was both rigorous and rewarding. I was challenged to think deeply, to look at questions from multiple angles, and to connect what I was learning in class to the world around me.” She credits the school’s small, close-knit community for giving her a sense of support that continues to influence her today.
The global perspective she gained through the IB program shaped much of her life’s trajectory. “I was constantly encouraged to think beyond myself and consider how people in other parts of the world might see and experience things differently. That sparked a lasting curiosity and desire to explore,” Sheridan explains. One of her fondest memories captures this spirit perfectly: a service trip to Jinotega, Nicaragua, where she and her classmates worked hand-in-hand with local communities. “Experiencing a new environment outside of school allowed us to form connections beyond the context of school. That trip really opened my eyes to the importance of empathy and cultural understanding.”
Sheridan also fondly remembers participating in Patriot Buddies, a tradition that brought the entire school together. “Having been at CDS since kindergarten, participating as a senior felt like a full-circle experience and showed how connected the community was across all ages.”
Sheridan’s journey reflects the lessons she first learned at Carrollwood Day School - curiosity, empathy, and a global mindset that drives her to explore. Whether leading trips through the mountains or creating with her hands, she approaches each experience with intention and openness, embracing the world with the same adventurous spirit that began at CDS.
We love sharing our alumni achievements with the CDS community. If you are a CDS Alumni and would like to share your accomplishments, please contact our Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Carli (Gauthier) Mianne '16 at cmianne@cdspatriots.org and let us know what you have been up to since leaving CDS. We look forward to hearing from you!