ALT A graphic featuring a headshot of Anna Patterson, the Assistant Director of Esports at Florida Tech stating: "Collegiate esports has been everything to me since I joined my collegiate Overwatch team in my freshman year of college. My involvement in the space has changed the course of my life, and I am so grateful that I took a chance and joined the team."

ALT What does collegiate esports mean to you? Collegiate esports has been everything to me since I joined my collegiate OW team in my freshman year of college. My involvement in the space has changed the course of my life & I'm so grateful that I took a chance & joined the team. I have become a better person/friend/teammate/leader thru my combined experience in the space. It has taught me empathy & has allowed me to help students create positive relationships in their lives. Collegiate esports also allows an opportunity to engage people who may feel like they have nowhere to go on campus & enables them to create lasting connections. I have seen many students blossom into strong confident people through their involvement with esports & it means so much to me to be part of that experience. I was someone who had no confidence in myself & thought I would struggle to make friends in college. Ultimately I found a home in collegiate esports & I hope to create the same opportunity for others.

ALT What does collegiate esports mean to you? pt 2 Although I have had positive experiences, I have also had very negative experiences that I should have been protected from in my collegiate esports experience. Through all my hardships, I can look back fondly on the people that I met along the way who truly supported me and my journey. They were also people who believed in me and encouraged me to pursue this career path, and for that I am grateful for my experience. Others should not have to go through the things that I did, though, and I hope to make collegiate esports a space where people can feel comfortable and included. My original leadership failed in protecting me and other women, and it means a lot to be part of the change and solution for women in the community.

ALT Who are some women in esports who have inspired you & what lessons have you learned from them? Caelus McKeel was my teammate in college who encouraged me to join the esports team. She was the real reason that I chose to try out for the team and her decision to encourage me changed the course of my life. Caelus is a strong representative of what it means to have confidence in your abilities and advocate for what you deserve. We shared many struggles, but through all of it she is someone who never faltered and has helped shape me into the woman that I am today. Even if we are not as close as we once were, she will always hold a place in my heart as an amazing friend, teammate, and woman. She inspired me throughout my college career to be forward-facing and encourage other women to join and feel comfortable and included.