Our amazing super-alum Nathalie Sarju hosted an alumni mixer this past summer in New York City!
Read more about her experience and the event:
It was an affair of wine and cheese, smiles and sisterhood. Recently, Women and Youth Supporting Each Other commemorated 25 years of uplifting, inspiring, and mentoring young women across the nation. Here in New York City, WYSE women, wise and youthful, gathered on August 30, 2018 at Ardesia Wine Bar to celebrate the special moment and rejoice in our accomplishments. Over happy hour glasses and brie, I overheard chatter of politics, careers, and goals. I saw smiles and laughter unique to WYSE gatherings. I witnessed the future of WYSE.
I still remember my first WYSE meeting as a hopeful freshman at NYU. I was searching for a space to call home and a group of people to lean on in the busy city of New York. WYSE became that and more for me. It was where like-minded women gathered to inspire promise in our middle school mentees. It was a group of people who would guide me, listen, share in my joys and a group I could lean on. Fast forward a few years later, I broke ground on starting my own chapter of WYSE in the university I transferred to and I connected to WYSE in unimaginable ways. I attended WYSE’s National Leadership Conference where I exchanged ideas, hugs, and tears. WYSE goes beyond creating space for women and empowering young girls - it leaves a lasting impact. If I could go back in time, I would tell freshman Nathalie that she was right where she needed to be when she sat in that first meeting.
At WYSE’s recent celebratory networking event, current WYSE NYU mentors and WYSE alums now based in New York City reconnected and set forth space for one another to thrive. Women who had never met before were given an opportunity to explore new friendships and women who hadn’t seen one another in a while were given space to rekindle friendships. WYSE’s 25th anniversary represented more than a time period that encompasses the mark WYSE has left on young women and university students. As an alumni, I feel honored to remain connected to these women through my work with WYSE. I am able to give back to an organization that gave me so much and I can continue to make my mark alongside WYSE. More than grateful, I am inspired by who we are becoming, my own professional and personal development, and the influence WYSE continues to have on my well-being and day-to-day passion. Whether it’s donating to WYSE’s efforts, planning events, giving advice or support to current university women, or pursuing a career with adolescents, WYSE’s impact shines in all parts of my life. The 25th anniversary event of WYSE highlighted the memories, connections, and impact of WYSE on women of New York City. With eleven branches up and running as of 2018, can you imagine the nationwide WYSE impact?!
If you are looking to connect WYSE alums and current mentors in your city, contact info@wyse.org to see how you can help!