Skip to content

Sylvia Ryan: Westfield Local Heroes 2018

How Sylvia found her calling when her mum issued an ultimatum

The $10,000 Westfield Local Heroes grant has enabled Berwick College to partner with a local coffee roaster to establish The Coffee Cart business. This has enabled the school to engage with a diverse range of students to build supportive and empowering relationships, enabling young people to engage with education to their fullest potential.

Sylvia Ryan was just 15 when her mum issued an ultimatum that changed her life.

Worried that Sylvia was spending too much time thinking about herself, she told her to go out and not come home until she found volunteer work.

Sylvia signed up to help at an aged-care facility and soon realised she had a knack for community work.

“I just loved it and started looking at how I could pursue it as a degree,” she says.

Sylvia qualified as a social worker and is now part of the student support team at Berwick Secondary College, where around a quarter of students come from homes where there is violence.

She has implemented a number of strategies to help students feel a part of a community, including a breakfast club.

“It’s a privilege to journey alongside young people and experience various ups and downs beside them.”

Sylvia also volunteers as a mentor at a local church-affiliated youth group, Epic Youth, which a number of students attend. Her involvement means she is around to be a positive role model for the students out-of-school.

She says volunteering makes it easier for students to believe people like Sylvia.

“Seeing there is genuine care has probably made some of the biggest impact on the highest-risk kids.

“I love seeing kids come alive at the youth group and start getting in touch with passions and interests they didn’t know they had.”

Sylvia feels “a little embarrassed” to be voted a Westfield Local Hero but is delighted the community recognises the value of her and her team’s work.

The process of setting up the business is expected to be an engaging way for them to tackle the school curriculum.

Profits from selling coffee to teachers will be used to buy school resources or to help another local community group.
“We want to tap into their leadership skills and help them understand they can have an impact on their school community,” says Sylvia.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here.

Fresh new arrivals you won’t want to miss

Check out our latest arrivals including Chemist Warehouse and The Ugg Shop and see who's set to open this season.

Read more

Village Cinemas: $6 Kidz Flix every weekend

Village Cinemas: $6 Kidz Flix every weekend

Every weekend enjoy new blockbusters just for $6.

Read more

You may also like

Chatime: New SUPERMAN™ range

Chatime: New Superman™ range

Look Up and Sip!

Read more

This winter’s best movies: A guide to new cinema releases - Fountain Gate - EVERGREEN

This winter’s best movies: A guide to new cinema releases

From adrenaline-pumping action to laugh-out-loud comedies, heartfelt dramas, and kids flicks, there’s something for everyone at Village Cinemas Fountain Gate.

Read more

We're here to help

Visiting with kids

We acknowledge the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land we gather on today and pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and their Elders past and present.

Scentre Group operates its Westfield destinations with a responsible business mindset, with a focus across the four pillars of community, people, environment and economic performance. More information can be found in our 2024 Responsible Business Report.

  • Careers
  • Business Solutions
  • Responsible Business
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

© All rights reserved Scentre Group 2025