Program Officer, Inclusive Economies
Surdna Foundation
Patrice Green is a dynamic former Scholarship Fund recipient who exemplifies the Titan spirit. She believes in hard work, determination, and dedication to community. Patrice is an Ivy League graduate who has dedicated her life to serving her community. When she applied to the Scholarship Fund in 2001, her counselor, Maria Muhtadi Roach, wrote of Patrice, “She has an unparalleled work ethic and unbridled energy”. This assessment of Ms. Green remains true today. In speaking with her, it is clear that she is a person who is deeply committed to the causes she believes in and that she brings a highly productive energy to her work and volunteer activities.
Patrice is a Program Officer for Inclusive Economies at the nonprofit SURDNA Foundation in Philadelphia. The foundation’s mission is to support just and sustainable communities. Patrice knows that neighborhoods are rebuilt with the people who live there and know their neighborhoods best. For more than ten years in both the nonprofit and government sectors, she has worked to transform economically distressed communities by building innovative cross-sector partnerships. Patrice served as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Liaison to the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. This program leads community engagement to revitalize neighborhoods via job creation, leveraging private investment, increasing economic activity and educational opportunities, and reducing crime. Not only does her work benefit individuals in the community she serves, but she has led the way on reimagining what it means for federal staff to engage in community partnerships.
Patrice was a standout at TC who served as class president, a member of all three choirs, and was a founding member of the TC Step Team. Her interest in her local community was evident as a teen as she was also a founding member of the Alexandria Youth Council and a youth representative on the City Youth Commission. She was recognized for her dedication to Alexandria as the youth recipient of the Community Service Award from the Alexandria Commission on Women. Patrice fondly remembers many teachers at Hammond Middle School and TC, especially Michael Diggins who she says, “…embodies the spirit of Titans giving back to the community.”
Patrice was raised by a single mother who instilled in her the importance of service to others. In her family, it was not an option to ignore the needs of her neighbors. Another value that Patrice’s mother held was the necessity of education for her children. Patrice remembers that going to college was expected of her as well as finding the means to finance her education. Patrice applied to more scholarships than colleges. With the help of the Scholarship Fund and a scholarship from the University of Pennsylvania, Patrice earned her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics. She then went on to receive her Masters in Governmental Administration with a concentration in Public Finance, both from the Fels School of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
While a student at Penn, Patrice was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, where she served as Finance Secretary and Historian. She was also the vice president of the W.E.B. Du Bois College House Council. Her outstanding volunteer work while in college earned her the Public Service Award awarded through the Fels School. Patrice continues to volunteer and serves the alumni chapter of her sorority helping to build mentoring programs. She is on the board of We Are All Educators, which supports career development for young people in Maryland and DC.
Patrice credits the Alexandria and TC community with setting her on her life path. She has a deep appreciation for the diversity of our city and school and feels that she grew up on the cutting edge of a cultural change that accepted and appreciated the benefits of living in a diverse community. She says, “Going to TC gave me the opportunity to see diversity at play. It was in Alexandria that I first saw how a city benefits when all folks come together to solve problems”. She brings this spirit of working together to her work today.
Patrice was the recipient of the William Euille Scholarship and was also awarded SFA renewal scholarships. She credits the Scholarship Fund with creating and expanding opportunities for her. Patrice says, “I don’t know any other place like TC. There is this village, and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria is part of this village that is there for you. I’m really grateful for the experiences I had at TC, and the SFA scholarship felt like the crowning jewel.” She is happy that she is now in a place where she can give back, so for the past several years she has been thrilled to be a financial supporter of the Scholarship Fund. Once a Titan, always a Titan. The Scholarship Fund is delighted to honor this outstanding Titan!
