"When I came to this campus, I made a commitment to serve in the community where I live," says Dr. Cynthia Patterson of Bartow. "I think it's important."

Putting her words into action, she has marched in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, helped conduct voter registration drives and participated in the Lakeland CROP Hunger Walk.

"Our actions have global impact. I believe it's important to be an effective citizen in the community. I'm trained in competency-based education. I believe students should learn competencies to prepare for not only the workforce but also citizenship.

"We don't do our job unless we address all areas of being an educated person. Becoming an effective citizen and a well-rounded human being needs to be part of and central to what we do at USF Polytechnic. As educators, we're not doing our job unless we encourage an educated and active citizenry. The best way to do it is to model it."

An assistant professor of English, Patterson teaches such courses as Professional Writing, Communication for Engineers, Advanced Technical Writing and Cultural Studies and the Popular Arts. She is committed to providing her students with hands-on, real-world, collaborative teaching and learning experiences.