Janay Patton pursued San Diego City College for its diverse environment. Patton is the senior student services assistant for the Records Office at City College, where she has worked for four years.

 “After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I knew I wanted to work in higher education. I quickly set my sights towards community colleges,” she said. “I knew City College was a part of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and had a rather diverse student and employee population. I admired what the campus stood for and represented.”

Prior to City College, Patton worked at the San Diego County Office of Education as a program secretary and for ITT Technical Institute as a records coordinator.

Patton is a lifelong learner with a drive to pay it forward. “When I was an undergraduate at San Diego State University (SDSU), I had immense difficulty as a biology major. There was a time I felt lost and wanted to quit, but I knew quitting was not an option,” she explained. “A dean and counselor at SDSU really gave me the support I needed to graduate with a bachelor’s in sociology. From that moment on, I wanted to help students achieve their educational goals, no matter how small or large my involvement or impact.”

Following her studies at SDSU, Patton knew she wanted to work for the California Community Colleges system. “Community colleges serve large populations of students of color, first generation, low-income, and undocumented students. It is community colleges that give all people from these populations access to higher education. Access they may not have had at the university level.”

Patton started working for City College in January 2018 and felt immediately connected to the varied racial, ethnic, and cultural populations on campus. “This college represents hope for students from marginalized communities and that meant a lot to me as an individual from one of these communities,” she said. “Students choose City College because of the community we have built on campus. When students engage with staff and faculty, they find a sense of belonging and community.”

Patton is a current graduate student in the postsecondary educational leadership program at SDSU, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s degree in education with a concentration in counseling, and a certificate of mental health and trauma informed care. Additionally, she pursued three associate degrees within the SDCCD including an associate of science degree from Mesa College, and two associate degrees in business from City College.