In Glendale High School, Sylvia fell in love with Chemistry. She wanted to be like Madame Curie, working in a laboratory. She went on to Glendale College, majoring in Chemistry. In 1966, she applied at a laboratory as a lab assistant, but they were not hiring women. Ten years later, she enrolled in California State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business. She applied to CPA firms, but they were not hiring married women with children. After ten years working as an accountant, Sylvia went back to California State University. She earned a Teaching Credential in Secondary Education, teaching in Los Angeles for only one year.
