Following his graduation from high school with a grade point average of 1.8 and seven years of experience working in special education, Ronnie Sidney, II, is now a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), therapist, author of best-selling books, and business owner. Even though he was classified as an African-American student with cognitive difficulties, he completed his studies at Old Dominion University. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services in 2006. He graduated with a Master of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014.
Currently, Sidney is an entrepreneur and a best-selling author who has won several awards. Nelson Beats the Odds is a semiautobiographical comic book published in 2015. It is a bestseller on Amazon and tells the story of a young guy who fights with the embarrassment of being placed in special education. In addition, he published another book that was quite successful and was titled Tameka’s New Dress. This book discusses issues like bullying, kinship care, parental substance misuse, and childhood trauma in a way that is delicate enough for even the most minor children to understand.
The Darden Award is a distinguished award presented to Darden College of Education alums who have made outstanding achievements. 2017 Old Dominion University awarded Sidney the Darden Award for his extraordinary efforts. In 2020, Sidney appeared in the Virginia Commonwealth University magazine Shafer Court Connections. Additionally, he was one of the 200 university graduates included in The Power Issue, which celebrated alums who had inspired others.
Sidney’s difficulties in his early academic career sparked a yearning to pursue social justice and help young people from inner cities. Throughout his career, he has worked in the disciplines of academic counseling and mental health counseling for more than fifteen years.
Beyond his professional and academic life, Sidney is a devoted husband and the father of four wonderful children. He is also a successful businessman. In addition, he is a member of several boards, one of which is the advisory board for the Center on Transition Innovations (VCU-CTI) at Virginia Commonwealth University. This organization disseminates data and materials backed up by research and cutting-edge techniques in the field. The Essex County Economic Development Authority and the Essex Youth Football Association both count him as an active member of their respective organizations.
