Student Spotlight: Sydney Wilson

More than 20% of Bishop’s students come from the province of Ontario. Sydney Wilson, a second-year student completing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a Minor in Economics, first heard about Bishop’s University during a career fair at her high school in Ottawa when she was in twelfth grade. Hearing a lot of good things about the University, she came for a campus tour during her March break. As the student explains, she fell in love with both the campus and the people; “Everyone was super friendly and nice. I knew I wanted to come to Bishop’s.” 

During Sydney’s first year, she lived in the Mackinnon Residence on campus. She reflects that, “in this residence, there is always a lot of stuff going on and everyone was always super friendly. It’s more of an outgoing atmosphere; you can always join as people are so welcoming. People are also considerate, and whenever you had an exam you could just go see people who were being loud and they would totally understand and be quieter.” 

When Sydney first arrived at Bishop’s, coming from a bigger city and another province, it was a whole new experience for her. “At first, it was weird, as on-campus everyone speaks English, but as soon as you leave campus and go to Sherbrooke, or even sometimes in Lennoxville, a lot of people start speaking French. It was a bit of an odd experience at first, but I am grateful that I already knew how to speak French.”

Last year, Sydney volunteered for the Maple League Case Competition as a timekeeper, and as she watched other students present she thought it was really cool and something she would like to do herself. She participated in the Junior Case Competition held by Bishop’s. Wilson is also a member of the Women in Business (WIB) group. With WIB, she is able to talk and meet a lot of women who are in their last years of university, as well as some alumni to find out more about their experiences. During her time at Bishop’s, she has also written some articles for the student newspaper The Campus. She also attends a lot of Bishop’s University Commerce Society (BUCS) events, sharing that, “you get to meet more people and you get to know students who are in the same program as you.”

What makes Bishop’s such a great institution in Sydney’s opinion is the strong sense of community: “Everyone is super nice and friendly. At Bishop’s, you really get to know your professors and they get to know you. I know for a fact that a lot of people do not get that at other universities.” She explains that not only is Bishop’s a very friendly school, but she loves the campus’ location as well as the small town vibe in Lennoxville, where there’s a feeling that everyone knows everyone.