Donna Patterson is affectionately known as 'Ms. Donna' by her peers in the UM School of Education.
OXFORD, Miss. – Over the past 19 years, Donna Patterson has advised, encouraged and lent a compassionate ear to thousands of students at the University of Mississippi. Now they’re putting her up for awards – and she’s winning.
Patterson, senior academic counselor for the Student Advising and Field Experience, or SAFE, office in the UM School of Education, has been honored with the 2012 Academic Advising Network’s Excellence in Advising Award. Better known as “Ms. Donna” to her peers, she was nominated for the award by education students and faculty.
While the job of an academic counselor frequently evolves, there’s one thing that never changes.
“I love working with students,” Patterson explained. “Sometimes our students just need a little advice. Sometimes they just need to have someone to talk with. But they’re so full of life and energy and a joy to be around.”
Patterson started with the School of Education in 1993 as a program assistant in the dean’s office. Advising became a natural career path as she worked with students.
“I remember helping students receive PIN numbers so they could register for classes by phone,” she said. “Each course had a different code you had to put in. It was so much different than it is now.”
In the SAFE office, Patterson is known for guiding aspiring teachers through degree paths and toward obtaining a Mississippi teacher’s license. She’s also known for giving students either the compassion or motivational push needed when the pressures of college become overwhelming.
“I’ve had breakdown moments when I didn’t know what I was doing, and she always listened and reassured me,” said Cheslin Clemons, the student who nominated Patterson for the award. “She was always there for me. Sometimes I would just stop in to talk with her between classes. I wanted to do something for her because she’s done so much for me.”
This award marks the second year in a row Patterson has been honored for her work with Ole Miss education students. In 2011, she received the School of Education’s Exemplary Service Award.
“Being ‘Ms. Donna’ means so many things,” said Whitney Webb, the education school’s assistant dean for advising. “She greets students with a smile on her face. She identifies education classes that conflict with others before the schedule goes live. Her phone rings off the hook. She knows degree requirements and trains the new employees in our office, including her direct supervisor.”
For more information on the School of Education, go to http://education.olemiss.edu/.