In Conversation with Trisha Pesiri-Dybvik

We recently sat down with Trisha Pesiri-Dybvik, Class of 2002 and member of the first women’s soccer team. We hope you enjoy hearing from her as much as we did!

Please tell us a little bit about your background.

I grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Prospect High School, where I played four years of varsity soccer and was recently inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. I live with my husband, son and daughter in Ventura, California. I have worked in several facets of aviation, and currently work for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association as an air traffic controller, collaboration facilitator and safety legislative advocate. My husband is a proud US Navy Veteran and seasoned air traffic controller, albeit “quasi-retired.” I love to travel, spend time with family, and participate in various sports, I especially love coaching my daughter’s soccer team!

How did you come to be a student at NDNU?

NDNU recruited me from West Valley College to help build the first women’s soccer team; they wanted some seasoned leadership on the team. Other colleges were scouting me too, but being raised Catholic, having that foundational element included in my education was very important to me. Plus the location was perfect, and I was excited to be part of something new. I was also very fortunate to receive full academic and athletic scholarships, which required that I meet a high GPA and perform well on the soccer team.

I started NDNU at the beginning of my junior year and lived on campus through graduation in 2002. I majored in Political Science and communications, and I also took a number of business classes. The professors were very helpful in accommodating my rigorous college athletics schedule. I stayed busy with soccer, internships and classes. Gaspar Silvera was the women’s soccer coach at the time, and Sister Beth and Father Harris were friendly faces around campus.

Can you talk a little more about your experiences on the soccer team?

I was captain both junior and senior years. My teammates were a dedicated group of women. We did everything together. We ran errands, we ate meals, and spent all of our limited free time in our shared-on campus apartment. We had books and soccer gear everywhere; cleats and shin guards were perpetually dangling over the porch railing to air out and dry. We built lifelong friendships, and I am still in contact with many of the women today. I will forever hold these memories near and dear to my heart!

What was campus life like when you were a student? What are some of your favorite memories, classes and teachers?

I especially enjoyed the sense of community throughout the college. Everyone knew one another and came out to support the athletes when we were playing. Numerous group activities – a dance or some other fun event – were always happening at the dorms. The community itself was very diverse, with students from all over the world. Overall, it was a very peaceful environment for learning.

One of my most memorable experiences was going to the chapel to be with everyone on 9/11.  You really felt the warmth of the community that day. In general, I appreciated the accessibility of church services on campus and attended mass on most Sundays.

The faculty and staff were very supportive and accommodating of our rigorous game and practice schedules. Sister Beth, who was a close family friend, taught me a great deal, and would occasionally show up at my games. Dr. Cellini was another outstanding professor; he taught a marketing class and had us go to local sporting venues to research and write papers on sports marketing. I remember him being very passionate about the work and demanding a lot from us. It was a terrific class. I also took a class on “Religions of the World” which was very informative, inclusive and progressive. The course content definitely shaped my views, and has come in handy, especially when my children ask questions about religion.

How did you end up working in aviation?

I’ve been around airplanes my whole life; as a child, my dad took my sister and I to a number of airshows. After I graduated from NDNU in 2002, I moved to Southern California. I had planned on going back to school to get my master’s degree, but decided while I was waiting to start school that I wanted to travel, so before I knew it I became a domestic and international flight attendant occasionally assisting our US military transportation. The job took me all over the world. I originally thought I would go back to school to focus on public administration and politics, but ultimately fell in love with aviation and ended up receiving an additional degree in aeronautical science.

The work that I do for the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association combines all three of my passions: policy, legislation and aviation. I have spent most of my career going back and forth between California and Washington, D.C. to educate members of Congress on issues impacting the national airspace system.

How would you sum up your experiences at NDNU? What impact did it have on your life?

Communication, especially public speaking, is a big part of the advocacy work I have done throughout my career. In 2017, we lost our home in the Thomas Fire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Two years later, I was an honored guest of Vice President Harris at the State of the Union representing California, wildfire victims and federal employees. I was part of a video production about the fires and participated in a significant amount of media coverage, including several national interview briefings. I credit NDNU classes and instructors with providing the educational resources and support needed to develop and hone this vital skill set.