Cynthia Riggs, B.A. Psychology, 1978
Cynthia Riggs came to Sonoma State straight out of High School as
a Humanistic Psychology major. After a period of adjustment to college
life, Cynthia's "excitement surged again when I saw the possibility
to learn and study in this innovative program. I remember clearly
the ways in which Hutchins changed my life, both the people I studied
with and the unique approach to education." She graduated with
her BA in psychology in 1978. On how SSU contributed to her growth,
Cynthia says: "My entire college experience is vivid and alive
in my memory, and that in and of itself establishes the impact it
had on my life. It was the experience of learning, thinking, problem
solving, interacting with all types of people that enabled me to
move forward in life, applying the experience to every job, each
relationship and most importantly to myself."
After college, Riggs discovered that she had a knack for business.
She has owned and operated two successful and financially profitable
businesses. Her store, Making It Big, has become a multimillion
dollar company, that turned 16 in March of 2000. Making It Big manufactures
natural fiber clothing for large and super size women. There is
a retail store in Rohnert Park, as well as an extensive on-line
business and nationwide mail order catalogue - the online ordering
aspect has been implemented since 1996, before e-commerce became
as popular as it is now. It is common for Cynthia and her company
to hire hourly workers that have come from welfare, GAIN programs,
other countries, and who are often uneducated.
She is a regular contributor to the Small Catalogs Forum order
section of Catalog Age Magazine, and is a member of Connections,
a local forum for women in business. She is on the Board of Directors
of CARE Children's Counseling Center, and works at fundraising and
volunteer staffing for Kid's Street Theatre, both in Santa Rosa.
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