Isaiah Sypher

Intern

Class:                  2013

Major:                 Psychology

Activities:          Senior Interviewer
Spanish Teaching Assistant
Wesleyan Singers

Hometown:       Jamaica, NY

High School:     Queens High School for the Sciences at York College

Bio: Isaiah Sypher is from Jamaica Queens, New York. He attended Queens High School for the Sciences. He is in his last semester as a Wesleyan student and has been very active on campus for the last four years. He worked as a senior interviewer, a teaching assistant for Spanish 101, and a department specialist at the Office of International Studies. In the past, Isaiah has been a TA for Elementary French and volunteered both at Woodrow Wilson Middle School and the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown. On a more creative note, he sang with Ebony Singers for two semesters and took two West African Dance classes, which were as enjoyable as they were exhausting.

Isaiah studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for the full 2011-2012 academic year. For the past two summers, he worked as a psychology research assistant, first at Wesleyan in the Cognitive Development Lab and then at the Stanford Mood and Anxiety Disorders Lab. Isaiah has also interned at a number of cultural institutions throughout New York City.

Due to a strong interest in mental health, Isaiah plans on doing a 1-2 year research assistantship with a focus on mental disorders, after which he plans to apply to PhD programs in clinical psychology.

He enjoys music, film and trying new recipes.    

Isaiah answers the question "Why Wes?"

Why Wes: As I was navigating the college search and application process, I used my high school experience as a point of reference to determine just what I wanted out of a school. I greatly appreciated the diversity of the student body and the feeling of being in an intimate and close-knit learning environment, like my high school afforded. On the other hand, I did not want this to come at the expense of academic opportunities and resources. Wesleyan was one of the only places that made me feel that I didn’t have to compromise. Coming to WesFest definitely solidified that impression. In a 72-hour period, I came into contact with more passionate, driven, and quirky people than I had in my entire life! I realized that coming to Wesleyan would not only help me to grow as an intellectual, but as an individual. As I reflect on this decision over 3 years later, I really do believe I couldn’t have made a better choice.

Favorite Song: "A Foggy Day" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Favorite Movie: Rashomon

Interesting Fact: I am a third-generation New Yorker