On Tuesday, August 31, Associate Director of Residential Education and Residential Life, Stephanie Patterson left the Bowdoin College Office of Residential Life to join the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Maryland.

One of Patterson’s most notable roles at the College was overseeing the College House system and supporting both House members and residential staff as they programmed events, managed budgets and created inclusive residential communities.

“I am really sad to see her go,” Katie Draeger ’24, a member of Helmreich House, said. “I know that other people in our House are going to be better for her influence and her eye for safety and fun at the same time.”

College House members, such as Edmundo Ortiz Alvarez ’24, a member of Burnett House, have been grateful for her training and leadership by example.

“Anybody who got the opportunity to be trained by her [was really] impacted in terms of her leadership skills and ability to connect and create a better community,” Alvarez said. “She really made an impact as it relates to our ability to make an impact.”

As Patterson transitions to a university with fraternities and sororities, Bowdoin students are hopeful that Patterson will affect positive change on Greek life at the University of Maryland.

“Here [at the College], she really helped foster an environment where, even though we [have] College Houses and there is a party culture, she put safety at the forefront and made sure that everyone was responsible and respectful of each other,” said Alondra Romero ’24, a member of Boody-Johnson House. “I feel like she’s in such a great position to hopefully better Greek Life culture in the future by just keeping those priorities that she’s helped foster here.”

“Hopefully she’s trying to make a more inclusive, welcoming and diverse community at [the University of Maryland] and reform the Greek life system,” said Ingrid Astley ’24, a member of Helmreich House. “Hopefully the College Houses are preparing her in the sense that we’re doing it right at Bowdoin, and maybe she’s going to bring some of those aspects over.”