The first question I ask Sylvie Wiseman is how her best friend would describe her. After careful consideration, Sylvie responds, “Funny, smart, and ready to do anything!”
Sylvie might also be described as a “Sheryl Sandberg-in-training.” She is the President of Lean In at the Glendon Campus, a club running at York for a second year. Sylvie co-moderates a small group of students at bi-weekly Lean In Circle meetings, where members are encouraged to pursue their goals and share their leadership experiences with others.
Sylvie considers herself a student leader. Her quiet, self-assured answers reflect an individual who is self-aware and not afraid to be herself. “Not to toot my own horn, but I think of myself as a role model. I’ve always liked school, and I am not shy about that. People around me know that I am a good and hard-working student and they look up to me. I have talked to younger students and they ask me for advice on school and how to manage everything. And I am always glad to help.”
A fourth year Psychology major at Glendon, Sylvie expects to graduate with a bilingual honours BA in Spring 2016. She is currently involved in two research labs at York: “Culture and Religion” and “Interpersonal Social Cognition.” In both, she is responsible for running the labs with participants. If Sylvie had to recommend a course to take at York, it would be the 3000-Level PSYCH course “Neurobasis of Behaviour” with Dr. Shayna Rosenbaum – a course that had her smiling while reading her textbook. In fact, Dr. Rosenbaum’s passion for the subject led to Sylvie studying neuropsychology.
Outside of her studies, Sylvie’s passion for helping others is reinforced with her 10 year involvement with a charity called Na’amate. “I am very passionate about women’s issues. [Na’amate] helps people no matter what. For example in Israel, they run daycares and women’s shelters. It doesn’t matter if you are Christian or Muslim. It’s a great organization helping people in stressful situations.” Sylvie volunteers with office work, charity events, speeches, and at the annual gala.
When asked about her plans for next year, Sylvie plans to attend grad school for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. In 5 years, she hopes to have her Masters and to work for a company that helps improve the workplace. A trip to visit a good friend in San Francisco and living away from her parents are also post-grad possibilities for Sylvie.
Back in the present, I ask Sylvie what is one piece of advice she would give to her first-year self.
“Work-life balance doesn’t exist – I know, shocker!” she confesses. “It’s very hard to do everything and have priorities in order. That’s a big problem with me because I tend to take on 10 tasks and realistically only 5 are doable. So, learning to say no. There are going to be parties and clubs to join. But if you join everything, you are not going to enjoy anything. Don’t take on everything and don’t stretch yourself too thin. “
Last Quick Questions:
3 Things She Can’t Leave the House Without: “My iPhone, Kleenex, my humongous wallet that doesn’t fit in any purses.”
On Repeat: Surrender by Cash Cash
Guilty Pleasures:
● Mindy Project: “I have probably watched all the seasons 3 times.”
● Shopping: “I like to shop at home, but when I go on vacation the first thing I want to do is go shopping because I can find unique things and different ways to dress.”
● Movie Theatre Popcorn – “Sometimes I just go there to buy it and don’t even see a movie!”