Whitney Patterson of Tyler has been selected as the AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer in the Office of Community Relations and Student Success at The University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Lou Ann Berman, UT Tyler director, announced.

AmeriCorps*VISTA (volunteers in service to America) provides full-time members to nonprofit, faith-based and other community organizations and public agencies to create and expand programs that ultimately bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty.

Patterson will graduate from UT Tyler in August with a bachelor of science degree in political science and a minor in international studies, and will serve as the AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer for 12 months.

She has previously served on the Smith County American Red Cross Board and is one of eight students nationally to serve on an ARC Board of Directors. She has volunteered with the East Texas Food Bank, the Children's Advocacy Center, the Association of Retarded Citizens and the Smith County Habitat for Humanity.  In addition, she was charter president for her high school Anchor Club of Tyler.

As a VISTA volunteer, Patterson will assist in strengthening strategic community partnerships, identify community needs that can be filled by UT Tyler students, plan and implement service events with campus and community organizations, work with faculty to integrate service-learning into curricula, recruit and support students for community projects, collaboratively create an infrastructure enabling UT Tyler to assess community service impact and plan a formal process to recognize student organizations and individuals. 

Patterson will also receive a modest living and food allowance, health insurance, student loan forbearance and project-related travel reimbursement.

Upon completion of service, Patterson may choose an education award of $4,725 or a cash stipend of $1,200.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service.  More than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 5,700 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.