(SANTA ANA, Calif.)— The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation has received a legacy gift of nearly $100,000 from the estate of the late English professor Kathy Patterson, establishing the Kathleen Patterson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund. The new endowment honors Patterson's deep commitment to SAC's Honors Program, whose home on campus now bears her name: The Kathy Patterson Honors Center.
Held in perpetuity, the fund will help hundreds more students pursue transfer to four-year universities for generations to come. It is a fitting tribute to a faculty member who believed deeply in giving back and who championed the SAC Foundation throughout her career.
For nearly 30 years, Patterson served SAC as an English professor, Honors Transfer Program Coordinator, and co-adviser of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
“Kathy was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of teacher,” said Christina Axtell, English Department co-chair and Honors Transfer Program Coordinator. “She genuinely loved people, and she cared about students and about SAC. She believed in her students and did everything she could to help them succeed. Students loved Kathy. Years later, former students would reach out to invite her to their graduate school commencements or to tell her about their accomplishments, and they always thanked her for her unending support and guidance. Kathy’s legacy will live on at Santa Ana College in all the students she taught and mentored, and in all the future students who will benefit from her very generous gift.”
A Legacy Built One Scholarship at a Time
Over the course of her career, Patterson established four scholarships through the SAC Foundation, each named with the wit and warmth for which she was known:
- Books, Bones, Bonds: The Sandy Wood Scholarship
- Honors Wizards Scholarship
- Literature Matters Scholarship
- Honoring Shelly Lemoi Scholarship
Together, these funds have awarded 67 scholars a total of $35,350, supporting students across the disciplines of English, philosophy, history, anthropology, reading, ESL and education. True to her belief that potential comes in many forms, Patterson opened her scholarships to applicants with GPAs ranging from 2.0 to 4.0. She gave special consideration to students facing financial hardship and to those already giving back through campus involvement or community service.
“It wasn’t just about the gifts; it was about the enthusiasm and advocacy Kathy brought to her work as a philanthropist,” said Christina Romero, Executive Director of College Advancement and the Santa Ana College Foundation. “She motivated so many SAC faculty to give back, and there is priceless power in that. I will always hear Kathy’s voice in my heart, calling for more students to receive the funding they need and deserve. Kathy is our why. Her legacy gift came as no surprise; she is still leading us.”
Patterson’s generosity extended well beyond the scholarships she created. Through financial gifts and committee service, she supported nine additional scholarship and program funds at the SAC Foundation: the SAC History Department Scholarship, the Living La Vida Logic Scholarship, the Opportunity Scholarship, the Gary Teigan Memorial Scholarship, the Jason Taylor Scholarship for Creative Writing, the Voice of SACTA Scholarship, the Women’s Program & Service Scholarship, the President’s Circle, and Friends of the Nealley Library.
Believing in Students
Patterson recognized that faculty and staff are often the first to see the challenges standing between a student and graduation, and she made it her mission to mobilize support around them. She helped departments and colleagues launch new scholarships, served as a volunteer reader on scholarship selection committees, and built a campus-wide culture of shared responsibility for student success.
“Kathy loved to share stories of her students’ accomplishments and struggles,” said her cousin and trustee, Chrystn Eads. “She extolled the community college system as a path to opportunity for everyone and donated generously to make sure scholarships were available for students in every department.”
Patterson’s belief in students changed lives. Julia Klotz, now an in-classroom English tutor at SAC, met Patterson during her first week on campus. “Right then and there, she had me sign up for the honors program,” Klotz recalled. “She recognized my potential. I continue to share her lessons with my students.”
Jennefer Boulagjame, a mother of four who returned to college with encouragement from her daughters, credits Patterson for helping her push through self-doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a car accident. Boulagjame graduated from SAC in June 2025 as valedictorian, earning degrees in sociology, with an emphasis in international law and policy, and in philosophy. “She was the catalyst who helped me blossom like an open flower,” Boulagjame said.
Professor Kathy Patterson, center, with colleagues and students
Carrying the Legacy Forward
The Kathleen Patterson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund will build on the culture of giving that Patterson helped cultivate at SAC. It will support Honors Program scholars and transfer success, helping students overcome financial barriers, reach their educational goals, and take their next steps in higher education.
To honor Patterson’s legacy, the SAC Foundation invites the campus and the broader community to give as she did. Gifts to the fund can be made at www.givetosac.org or by contacting the Foundation at foundation@sac.edu or 714-564-6091.
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About Santa Ana College:
Santa Ana College (SAC), founded in 1915, serves more than 70,000 students each year in credit and noncredit classes. SAC students can work toward an associate degree, university transfer, career and workforce training, or a bachelor's degree in occupational studies. In 2025, the college launched a second bachelor's degree, in paralegal studies. As part of Santa Ana College, the School of Continuing Education at Centennial Education Center offers free classes throughout the community for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds. Santa Ana College is an award-winning college. It was recently ranked among the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, and Intelligent.com named it one of the best community colleges in California for the second consecutive year. The college is also recognized statewide for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel.