At the thirteenth annual Sonoma State University (SSU) Distinguished Alumni banquet, which was held October 12, Assistant Professor Lisa Petrides, who received her M.B.A. from SSU in 1991, was among four alums honored.

Petrides came to SSU after working as a freelance computer consultant and as an aspiring audio engineer in a recording studio. According to Petrides, her first semester at SSU was "breath of fresh air. I found other students in mid-career jobs, each of us trying to better ourselves, many with families and other professional responsibilities."

After receiving her M.B.A., Petrides went on to receive her Ph.D. from Stanford University's School of Education in 1996. Petrides plays music and still dabbles in audio recording ventures. She has started a new hobby at TC, which is painting in watercolors. She and Associate Professor Linda Powell had their first exhibit at TC last spring.

In her remarks at the SSU banquet, Petrides said her experience has made her realize that she, "could inspire others, both young and old not to sell themselves short, and push them to make themselves realize their maximum potential."

Published Tuesday, Sep. 18, 2001