Alumni Profiles
Johnita Patterson
Class of 2005 SEED Graduate at Lesley University
Q: In what ways did SEED prepare you for college?
A: “My biggest life challenge has been coming to The SEED School. The SEED School was a completely different atmosphere from regular public school. Living away from home at the age of twelve was one challenge. I met a lot of new instructors, and it took me a while to overcome such a major change in my life. SEED is a small community and I knew that when I went to college I wanted that same small atmosphere. The academic expectations at SEED were much higher than at your typical District of Columbia high school. I still try to live up to the same expectations. Now that I’ve been to college I have compared my experience to non-SEED students at their schools. I can see how well SEED equipped me to have a successful college experience. At SEED, we were on a set schedule, and for me it carried on as I came to college. Now, after class I follow the same routine of doing schoolwork after class.”
Q: How do SEED and your college compare?
A: “They are similar because at both schools, there are people who are making sure that I succeed in college and post-college. I saw that from my teachers at SEED and now that I am at Lesley, people here are taking on that same role.”
Q: Why did you choose your college?
A: “Originally, I was planning on attending a college in North Carolina. One of my close house parents at SEED drove me to several different colleges up north, including Lesley, just to see what the colleges were like. Since she knew a lot about me, she knew the kind of college atmosphere that would give me the support I needed to grow personally and professionally. So, it was a combination of her knowing me, me trusting her opinion, and really enjoying Lesley when I visited. Oh yeah, and they have an awesome human services program!”
Q: Describe your favorite college class so far.
A: “My favorite class so far has been Introduction to Counseling. Going into that class, I thought we’d learn concepts about how to be a counselor. But, the objective was to learn about ourselves and thus what would make us good counselors. I learned a lot about myself and about not being judgmental. I also learned about how my personal experiences will affect me as a counselor. Experiences can make you judgmental, but I didn’t realize it before this class.”
Q: What do you do when you aren’t in classes?
A: “I work at Tag, a hardware store, go out with friends, and have an internship in a town nearby called Everett, where I’m working with the elderly as well as administrators and staff.”
Q: How has college changed you?
A: “It has definitely made me more independent, since I’m not five minutes from home anymore. It’s also exposed me to different cultures and people, even people of my own race. Before college, I hadn’t thought about people from my own race being different from me. I’ve learned that there is variety within the African American community even state to state. College has definitely given me the chance to grow.”
Q: What 3 words would you say best describe you?
A: “Caretaker, Intellectual, Independent”
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
A: “I’ll most likely come back home and maybe work at SEED while getting my masters degree in social work or nonprofit administration. I’m interested in attending Howard University, but am also looking at graduate schools in California and Ohio.”
