A Vision Come True

A&M and Texarkana fortunate to have people like Lois and Cary Patterson

People make a community.

It’s not the buildings or infrastructure, the businesses or recreational opportunities. It’s not even the churches or schools.

It’s the people. They are behind all the things that make a city or town a place to live, work, worship, learn and play. Without people willing to make the effort, nothing would ever get done.

Take Texas A&M UniversityTexarkana. Just a few short years ago, the idea of a four-year residential college in the Twin Cities was a just dream that had been talked about for years. Then people got to work. They made the dream come true.

First there was one building. Then another. Now there’s a modern campus with administration, classroom and residence facilities. They serve the needs of more than 2,000 students.

And this week, a new addition: A fine student center.

Thanks to two of Texarkana’s leading citizens, the Lois and Cary Patterson Student Center officially opened on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by state and local political leaders, faculty and students and members of the public.

The new center features almost 40,000 square feet of space and houses classrooms, labs, a basketball court, a fitness center, a cafe and coffee shop, offices and more.

It’s a great addition to A&MTexarkana, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the Pattersons’ dedication to the school and their generous support. Cary Patterson is on the A&M-Texarkana Foundation Board of Directors, and his wife Lois is a founding member of Women for A&MTexarkana. They have been a driving force in making the university a reality since the beginning. Yes, it’s the people that make a community.

And we are fortunate indeed that folks like Lois and Cary Patterson choose to call Texarkana home.