Influential Woman · Education
Syeda Fatima
Student Assistant, International Department, La Sierra University, La Sierra University's International
Riverside, CA 92505
Her Story
About Syeda
I have been in the education field for almost 16 years now. I started my career as a Cambridge international teacher for economics and business, teaching students to prepare for Cambridge examinations. I also participated in high school as a school counselor for 5 years and worked under the capacity of headmistress in my country. Currently, I am associated with La Sierra University's International Department, where I work as a student assistant helping all the international students with their pre-I processing, admissions, and providing all the assistance, support, and guidance that they need when they arrive here. I feel really satisfied and complete when I try to give my contribution to the community and to students. At the same time, I'm also working for another office at La Sierra, the Keto Center for Worldview at the Zapara School of Business. It's a research center associated with education where we work on data from different conferences, cleaning and visualizing the data to compare how worldview is impacting the young minds who are making their decisions. Both are part-time jobs because right now I'm a student completing my degree in business analytics, graduating hopefully this summer from La Sierra University with an MBA in Business Analytics. I'm also the president of the International Club at La Sierra University, which we initiated this winter quarter 2026. This club is to mentor students, help them in their academic needs, and help them in socializing on campus by organizing different events and celebrating different cultures so everyone feels included. Additionally, I volunteer with the International Teacher Association (ITA), a non-profit based in the UK, where I've been working on business curriculum design for the past 2 years. My motto of life is making a difference in somebody's life, and bringing comfort and ease in students' lives is very much connected with my vision.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Syeda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I don't think I am successful yet. I have planned a lot and I'm just trying, honestly. I'm just trying to be a disciplined person, be honest, and my dedication is one thing that I feel like I have. I have people surrounded by me who are always there for me to motivate me and appreciate me for all the work that I'm doing. I'm trying, but I feel like I have not done a lot. I feel like there's a lot to do. I have planned for my own business and I'm working towards that also, so I'm working for setting up my business. I don't know how, but yeah, this is one of my plans.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I remember one of my professors, he was an economics professor during my undergrad in economics. He always said that if you want to make your career or you want to be successful in your career, choose the one where you feel satisfied. Don't do it for the trend, just follow your own passion. If you feel complete and satisfied doing and studying in a specific field or choosing a career, then go for that. And don't follow the trends, otherwise you will not be happy. I believe in that. Whatever I'm doing so far, I'm very happy with all my decisions. I'm very happy for all the work that I'm doing. The main thing is to provide my services to community, to students, and at the same time working for my school. I think that's more satisfactory for me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Life is so simple, but it's not easy. But I believe nothing is impossible. The only thing that we need to do is to focus on our goals and work towards that. We cannot achieve without that.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is to manage the time, because I'm not only a student, I'm a mom of two boys. I have two boys in high school and middle school, so I need to take off time for them also. They are my first priority. That's the only challenge. Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of things going on in my life, but I have to manage everything. I never compromise my personal life, or my work life. I always try to give everything 100% in every position. Trust me, my directors are so supportive. They are very, very helpful in understanding my position, being a mom, and then a student, and then working with different people.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I believe in not just one value, but a couple of values. First and most important is honesty. We should be honest in every turn of our life. If we are honest, then I feel like everything will go positive. You will get everything. God will make your ways for you if you are positive. I believe in growth, empowerment, integrity, contribution, and of course, respect. These are the values that I have. My leadership philosophy is based on all these values.
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