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Sydney Thomas became a viral sensation after her appearance as a ring girl for a fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. She’s seemingly attended every major sport and entertainment event in the US since.
Those stops included Coachella, Super Bowl LIX, and the Grammys. She’s also held jobs as a model and St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader on top of her ring girl duties with Most Valuable Promotions.
A 21-year-old student at the University of Alabama, she never appeared to be on campus. Despite that lacking physical presence, she was able to get her degree a year early.
Thomas’s fame exploded after she was identified at the Paul-Tyson fight last November, with the internet personality making the majority of the headlines from what was a lackluster boxing match. She called the unexpected attention “overwhelming” as her social media following grew by 500,000 overnight.
With the good came the bad, though. A number of online haters attacked her character and IQ with insinuations that she was just a “pretty blonde.”
@iamsydneythomas I love you all, thank you for loving me🤗 #ringcardmodel #paultyson #ringgirl #sydneythomas ♬ original sound – Sydney Thomas
Thomas made it her mission to prove to those doubters that she had smarts. She backed it up this week with an update from Tuscaloosa.
Sydney Thomas graduated early from the University of Alabama.
@iamsydneythomas Sorry I dissapeared for a sec. Had to go get educated. Did it in 3✅ #viewerschoice #rolltide ♬ FC transition challenge – FineChina🦋💕
Thomas teased her early graduation with a TikTok post last month. She made it official with an update in May.
The online star posted graduation photos from the Alabama campus on both X and Instagram. The caption in each of those instances read, “Did it in 3.”
It’s been a good 3 years, thank you Alabama❤️🎓 pic.twitter.com/ZIr0gYGYPT
— sydney thomas (@itssydneythomas) May 6, 2025
Thomas studied management with a focus in entrepreneurship. That degree should be helpful as she pursues a future of potential brand partnerships and business deals as a model and influencer.
With that said, she admitted that she was seldom present on campus to attend classes in person. The university gave her the flexibility to travel given her newfound fame.
“I do all my classes online to be able to travel and have more flexibility with my schedule,” she said on TikTok last year. “Contrary to popular opinion, I actually am smart. I get the image of pretty blonde that doesn’t have a brain, but I got a 33 on my ACT in high school and I’m finishing a year early.”
She made good on that promise this spring. Sydney Thomas has graduated from the University of Alabama. She isn’t all that stressed about her future, noting that her path is one that’s unique to most recent graduates. It will be interesting to see where her professional journey takes her.
Content shared from brobible.com.