Cadence Patrick has been awarded the prestigious Spotlight Award: 25 for 25, which is a testament to the impact of interdisciplinary work. As a graduating senior Computer Science major with a minor in Interactive Media, Patrick blends her differing worlds – technology and the arts – to create.
Hailing from Oakland, California, her beginnings of forming her artistic identity were at the Oakland School for the Arts, where she studied at both the School of Visual Arts and the School of Digital Media. “Art has been such a huge part of my life, so when given the opportunity to attend art school I jumped at the opportunity,”.
Technology came into the picture after she and her team won first place at a Black Girls Code Hack-a-thon back in the Summer of 2015. After leading the group towards victory with her role as their art director, she then realized that she had a calling to use her artistic lens to engage with technology. This moment was pivotal for her since Black Girls Code led her to apply to be a Computer Science major at Spelman College.
To this day, she continues to give back to Black Girls Code through teaching at its summer camp after years of involvement as a learner. Now, she has been engaging with Black Girls Code for a decade and plans to continue serving the non-profit organization.
Patrick has been making waves as an outstanding, young creative. When asked about which moment of her journey thus far has been the one dearest to her heart, she informed me of her winning Target’s HBCU Design Challenge in 2022. She submitted her design during her first year at Spelman. It is titled Black Futures Are Bright and depicts her younger brother whom she deeply adores.
The response from Black Futures Are Bright kick-started her career as a young artist. Throughout the country, there was an outroar of support for her art, which heavily inspired her to continue creating and doing the work she does. It especially inspired her since she understands the importance of representation. “The thought that there is a little Black girl who is now willing to put their art out or just anyone after seeing my work is so cool to see. There is no age limit to inspiration, to starting something new or trying something out!”
Patrick also took the time to reflect upon the current pushback of DEI initiatives from Target in response to the Trump Administration. “As an HBCU student and a proud alumna of Black Girls Code, I will always support DEI initiatives and the likes of a corporation is not the end all be all. Although the recognition was a beautiful thing, what is occurring today is a reminder that there is real work needed to be done in making the necessary societal changes for the progression of our community.” Her reflection emphasizes that creatives must continue creating unconditionally. Creativity and work, even when no one is watching or when people are trying to silence it, must be done.
Patrick is a naturally shy person, which resulted in her having anxiety during her beginnings at Spelman. She tended to not take opportunities granted to her, whether that be social, academic, and/or extracurricular. However, as she matriculated through Spelman, she learned the power of saying yes.
Patrick putting her best foot forward has led her to beautifully serve the Spelman community. She was the Marketing and Communications Chair of the AUC Comic Book Film Club from her sophomore to junior year, where she created, designed, and implemented over 50 promotional flyers and social media graphics. Spearheading its social media as a founding E-Board member, she used her expertise to serve the AUC creative community. Today, she serves as the Arts & Letters Chair of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she leads the creative efforts of the chapter and plans arts-oriented events for the Spelman College community.
This May, Patrick will be graduating from Spelman College Magna Cum Laude as a member of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program. Her excellence is seen in her pen and on paper, but it is ultimately rooted at the heart – which is why she has been able to be the trailblazer she is. She is deeply grateful for the community that contributed to who she is today. “Being awarded has me thinking extra about the last four years and how thankful I am to have made the decision to come to Spelman. It is one of the greatest decisions of my life so far. It has taught me that [being] together is much better than [being] alone. The community is one of the best things…and I will hold it dear to my heart when I graduate.” She hopes to be remembered as a “kind creative who saw the best in the world and did her best to inspire others while she was at it”.
After graduation, Patrick plans to continue being a community builder through the power of the arts. In the current political moment we are in, we need to have people who are working to unify all walks of life to push us forward. We need more people like Patrick, who use their talents to connect, not to divide.
Patrick’s methodology towards committing to change-making is why this award is shining the spotlight on her power. Let’s all be inspired by her to take advantage of our talents, using them to pour back into our communities.
