Sydney Thomas, the ring girl who went viral during the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match last fall, is celebrating a major milestone.
“Did it in 3,” she began as the caption to a Tuesday, May 6, Instagram post letting her followers know she graduated from the University of Alabama a year early.
Her carousel began with a photo of her standing alone, smiling brightly while wearing a short, sleeveless white dress. She also held onto her graduation cap while leaning against a white wall outdoors.
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“As I look back and reflect on my college experience, I can’t help but acknowledge how monumental each of these years has been in shaping me into who I am today,” Thomas wrote.
Next, the model opened up about two significant highs and lows.
Her caption continued, “From navigating the loss of my mother to the whirlwind of unexpected overnight fame, Alabama has been the one constant through it all- continually welcoming me with open arms and keeping me grounded in who I am.”
Additional photos showed her happily popping a bottle of champagne in a red mini dress, posing with friends and sipping from said bottle of champagne.
Netflix
Thomas admitted her time as a student at the University of Alabama was “far from typical,” she was able to find “such beauty and comfort in the abnormalcy of it all, trusting that everything unfolded in alignment with Gods divine timing.”
“This has been such a beautiful chapter in the story of my life—one I’ll look back on often. And while it’s bittersweet that it’s come to an end a year early, I know that wherever my path leads next, Alabama will always be sweet home to me,” she wrote, adding a red heart emoji.
She concluded, “Roll Tide, forever & always,” adding, “xo.”
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Many wished her well, including gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, who graduated from Louisiana State University in December 2024.
Thomas, who achieved “unexpected overnight fame” after the boxing match was broadcast on Netflix, previously told PEOPLE she got an “overwhelming” amount of DMs after the televised sporting event.
“I still haven’t been able to fully wrap my head around it all,” she added of her instant popularity. “Just the fact that I’ll go on Snapchat or something and all the news stories have my face in front of them…It’s the weirdest mind game to me.”