Paige Swanson Named Spring 2021 Patterson Fellow
Our Spring 2021 Bob Patterson Interdisciplinary Studies Fellow, Paige Swanson, demonstrated generosity, empathy, humility, open-mindedness, creativity, altruism and gratitude — all characteristics of Dr. Bob Patterson — during her time at NC State.
She is an excellent student, graduating summa cum laude, co-majoring in nutritional science and earning a minor in nonprofit studies as a Thomas Jefferson Scholar, but she was also selected for her character and dedication.
As a low-income student, Paige had personal experiences with financial insecurity that pushed her to get involved in finding sustainable solutions to campus hunger. During her freshman year, she started our chapter of Challah for Hunger. Later, she became involved with the national organization, speaking at conferences and becoming one of two students serving on the Challah for Hunger National Board.
Paige also recognized a need on our campus to educate faculty and staff on the experiences of under-resourced students, so she decided to create a training program. This evolved into the Pack Essentials Advocate Knowledge (PEAK) program, which has now had over 100-course registrations in our online training portal.
In summer 2020, Paige interned with the Food Recovery Network, conducting research about campus food waste and city sustainability policies. She was also selected as a Zero Hunger Intern at the Congressional Hunger Center, a paid internship focused on training future anti-hunger leaders.
According to her nomination letter, Paige is “creative, insightful, willing to work to accomplish goals. She is a humble, unassuming personality who gets things done that make a difference in the lives of others. [She embraces] science, understanding, and social action.”
