For years, Nia Patton thought she might never complete a college degree. After gaining an online Associate of Arts for Transfer from Santa Monica College, she now studies philosophy at Stanford University.
"I applied to 20 schools because I was so nervous," says Patton. Even though Stanford was always her first choice, she considered getting into such a prestigious school "a pipe dream."
SMC philosophy professor Paul Klumpe convinced her otherwise. "Nia is an intellectually strong, genuinely curious and conscientious student," he says. He insisted that she aim for the heights and wrote a letter of recommendation.
Acceptances rolled in, from institutions including Wellesley College and Brown University, where she’d intended to go until Stanford changed her status from "waitlisted" to "accepted."
Patton was stunned, because most of her college experiences before SMC had not been happy ones.
Fighting Depression
After graduating from a noted prep school in her hometown of Boston, Patton went straight into a four-year university to study philosophy and got interested in law, too. "The expected path was to get into some Ivy League institution and then you’re set," she says. "And I thought since I wasn’t on that train, then I was nothing."
Those seeds of self-doubt gave rise to an emotional crisis. "I had some lingering mental health challenges that started in high school," Patton recalls. But her new university lacked a support system. In her freshman year, she began to miss classes and stayed in her room for days at a time.
Her grades plummeting, Patton hoped to transfer but then realized she didn’t know what process to follow. "Given my grades," she says, "I thought I didn’t have much of a chance anyway."
Shifting Gears
Patton dropped out and began working at Starbucks, where she was promoted from barista to supervisor to manager. Later, she took a management position with the English coffee chain Caffe Nero. After nearly eight years in the coffee trade, Patton turned her attention to real estate. Then COVID-19 shut everything down. So she took some time to reevaluate her goals. "I began focusing on what really matters."
Onward, Online
Patton’s next step toward getting back on track happened after she moved to Utah with her partner. She returned to real estate, this time working as an office coordinator. Helping her co-workers meet legal compliance reminded Patton how much the law mattered to her. As she researched her choices online from her Utah home—with cost a consideration—SMC came up as the best fit for her, especially the flexibility and affordability. The virtual option enabled her to continue her studies without interruption when she and her partner moved to Miami.
Even though Nia Patton pursued her degree remotely, the SMC faculty and her fellow students helped make the experience as social and personal as possible. She joined the Philosophy Club and her high grades led to induction in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
Helping Others
Nia Patton has always been driven to aid others. Even when working in real estate, she considered success in terms of helping people find their ideal home instead of meeting quotas. While she plans to become a lawyer, her dream is to help people avoid litigation," she says.
Looking back on her circuitous journey, Patton urges prospective students to understand that "there isn’t just one correct way or path to getting your education, so don’t be discouraged if things aren’t looking exactly how you imagined them." Anything can be accomplished, she says, "as long as you make a plan, work hard and surround yourself with people who want the best for you."
On her way to Stanford, Patton finally visited SMC’s campus, where she finally met Prof. Klumpe in person. Calling the professor "awesome," she adds, "he’s very open and could take challenging subjects and make you feel like you’ve always known and understood them."
Prof. Klumpe, of course, always believed in Patton’s drive and abilities — even when she had doubts. "I am very happy for her and excited to see how she grows as a scholar," he says.
Article courtesy of the SMC Public Information Office
