Click here to read more Cougar Corner profiles CHERYL CREUZOT HER CAREER CHOICE WAS FUELED BY A DARE... (‘81, J.D. ‘92, L.L.M. ‘99) As she neared graduation from the University of Houston in 1981, Cheryl Creuzot was attracted to the field of financial planning. But a professor counseling her discouraged her, saying, “I cannot see you talking to a cigar-smoking oil man about his finances.” But Creuzot remained intrigued by financial planning's blend of numbers and relationships, and plunged into the field anyway. “I wanted to marry my love of finance with my desire to help people,” she says. First concentrating on a network of family and friends, then branching out, she has worked her way to great success in her 23 years in the field, eventually becoming president and chief executive officer of Wealth Development Strategies LP. A three-time University of Houston graduate, Creuzot is “immensely proud” of her alma mater. She grew up in Austin and won a scholarship to UH. At first overwhelmed by the size of the campus, she soon felt at home because of the diversity of students. Taking advantage of the city's job market, she interned at Saks Fifth Avenue. A business technology major, she appreciated that the curriculum was geared towards people going to work for themselves. Later, Creuzot earned her J.D. and a master's of law in taxation from the University of Houston Law Center. Her community service resumé is impressive as well: stints on the boards of Project Row Houses, the Menil Collection, the Houston Museum of African American Culture, and the University of Houston Law Alumni Association. In May she was named to the Houston Chronicle's Best-Dressed Hall of Fame. Since 2002, she's been on the Houston Alumni Organization Board of Directors. She has been board secretary for three years, and, in September, becomes the board's chair-elect. Getting back on campus on a regular basis has given her "a broader perspective of the university's greatness, the tremendous amount of talent.” Then she adds, “We need to tell our story — get out there and educate the public.” After all, she says, “I’m a teacher at heart.” ( more ) Know an interesting Life Member story? Send an e-mail to alumni@uh.edu.