Bethany Patterson is currently majoring in public affairs at SUNY Empire State College. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in public administration at Buffalo State College or continue her education at SUNY Empire State College. Patterson was selected to participate in the China-U.S. Rising Star Program in May 2019, where she had the opportunity to spend 17 days in several Chinese cities serving as a liaison between Chinese and American students. As part of her Center for Law and Policy Solutions internship, Patterson is studying the correlates of mental health in adolescent refugees.