Embracing Your Inner Mentor

Dr. Pat Patterson 
Counselor, CSU, Chico Counseling and Wellness Center 

Dr. Patterson grew up in the inner city, in East Los Angeles. When he was in third grade, his teacher told his mother that he couldn’t read. But he did learn to read, and he enrolled in a private Catholic high school. When he was about to graduate, he asked for a college recommendation from the priest, who wrote, in essence, “Aldrich Patterson will never make it at your university.” Dr. Patterson then went to UC Irvine and “begged to be let in.” He was admitted, and his life turned around, thanks to a series of excellent mentors, including Dr. Joe White, the first licensed black psychologist in California. He also made connections with the Association of Black Psychologists. He went on to earn a PhD in psychology from the University of Maryland. He has now mentored many students during a 30-year career at CSU, Chico. As Dr. Patterson tells his inspiring story, he emphasizes his gratitude to his many mentors – or, in the words of the pledge of Men of Honor, an organization for black male students that he helped start at Chico State, “We are here today because we stand on the shoulders of the people before us.” 

View/Download Transcript 

Recorded: October 9, 2013