College founder Martha Berry left us with inspiring thoughts, including, “I pray that I may leave the world more beautiful than when I found it.” Mykelle Patterson ’26 is mindful of this legacy. She envisions a career where she can apply her knowledge of environmental science and understanding of people to connect communities and improve lives.
She remembers the surprising move from Atlanta, one of the nation's largest metro areas, to Berry’s sprawling 27,000-acre campus. A Gate of Opportunity scholar, she warmed to her new surroundings, especially when an admissions counselor spent over an hour walking her family through financial details. “That intentionality told me so much about the kind of place Berry is,” she says.
Environmental science and studies proved the ideal fit for Mykelle. The program prepares students to tackle existing and emerging environmental challenges with an understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment. Campus ecosystems afford the chance to do research in a living lab. In addition to environmental policy, students gain an interdisciplinary perspective and hands-on experience managing natural resources.
Mykelle put learning into practice. For example, as a researcher in the chemistry department, she participated in testing caves with varying amounts of human traffic and assessing the presence of microplastics. On a study abroad to Costa Rica, she explored the natural world through a different cultural lens and sharpened language skills in Spanish.
A deep faith grounds Mykelle in all avenues of life — especially service as a student support manager on campus. She has worked with students facing food insecurity, built community for students of color and helped freshmen navigate the transition to college life. High points included organizing events for Solidarity Week and Be Love Week, which honors Dr. Martin Luther King through service.
“Berry taught me how to foster belonging for myself and others,” says Mykelle, who also served as an intern at The King Center in Atlanta. “Going forward, I want the work I do to matter to communities, to creation and to the systems that connect them.”
A deep, self-reflective thinker, she has challenged her own biases and strengthened efforts to build community at Berry. “I realized people were genuinely curious about what made us different,” says Mykelle. “They just hadn’t had the same experiences. I learned how to explain, how to listen and how to hold space for conversations that could feel uncomfortable but ultimately brought us closer.”
Whether she enters the job market or heads to graduate school, Mykelle will live out the meaning of Berry’s Good Neighbor Culture.
“So much growth here came from saying yes to things that stretched me,” she says. “I’m leaving with a clearer sense of what kind of work feels meaningful and with the confidence that I’ll find the place where I’m meant to serve.”
