Christopher Patterson grew up in foster care in Spokane, Wash., and from birth to 5 years old he was in receiving homes. He was then adopted by his foster parents and later placed back into care at age 12 due to years of abuse in the home. Despite the obstacles he faced throughout his childhood, Christopher never let them stand in his way—“NEVER QUIT.”
“Most of my life was in foster care. I was fortunate enough to realize the obstacles in front of me were just that, so I moved them. Foster care was a blessing. I never took it as anything other than that.”
Christopher was no stranger to hard work and held jobs from when he was young all the way through high school, like working on dairy farms and delivering newspapers at 4 in the morning. He learned quickly what it meant to have a work ethic and to be independent and self-sufficient.
By the time he had graduated from high school, he felt that he had two options: the Marine Corps or Job Corps. Through the help of his foster parents and social worker, he felt Job Corps would benefit him the greatest at this point in his life.
Christopher attended Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Washington. He pursued the Forestry Conservation and Firefighting training. He quickly learned all about forest management, conservation, cross-country snowshoeing, cutting trails, and more. He was even the vice president and eventually president of the campus Student Government Association.
When Yellowstone caught on fire in 1988, Christopher and his fellow classmates were recruited to go through training and become part of the fire crew to help fight the fires. He received his Red Card certification and had to prove that he could handle what needed to be done. They set up basecamp in Philipsburg, Mont., and flew back and forth by helicopter, fighting fires wherever needed.
His teacher, Keith Wakefield, supported Christopher throughout his time at Job Corps. He helped Christopher gain the technical and interpersonal skills he needed to succeed.
“You need to take advice and have someone that’s willing to give you a hand. It’s not because they’re trying to get something from you. They’re trying to get you out there to become more self-sufficient, so you don’t become a statistic.”
After completing his training at Job Corps, Christopher attended Spokane Community College and continued to fight fires. He studied criminal justice and fire science and received his liberal arts degree. He then attended Eastern Washington University and received a degree in interdisciplinary studies in child psychology. He attended 12 years of school in total.
Christopher was the Regional Administrator for Region 9 of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development working for Secretary Ben Carson in a presidential appointment. The interpersonal skills he learned at Job Corps paved the way for his career. He learned the importance of speaking factually, having integrity, and making sure those you work with have class and dignity.
“I liked [Job Corps]. I met a lot of good people whether they were staff or students. Take the leap. What do you have to lose? It’s worthwhile doing.”
Christopher now owns two different companies: BreakThrough Inc., which provides residential services to individuals 6–21 years of age, and SteadFast Supported Living, which provides service to severe and profoundly intellectually delayed adults. He also works for Washington Trust Bank in a community solutions adviser role working with homelessness, mental health and addiction.
Graduated from Job Corps in: 1989 Employer: BreakThrough Inc., SteadFast Supported Living, Washington Trust Bank Hometown: Spokane, Washington Email: eduardo.cabrera@hud.gov Submitted by: NUVI monitoring