FLUSHING, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2018) - On Thursday, Hunter College women's basketball junior guard/forward Christine Patterson was named the CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery Scholar-Athlete of the Month for December 2017.

"I am honored to be recognized for the hard work and dedication, both on and off the court," said Patterson. "It means that I have the support of my teammates, coaches and administrators at Hunter. It is just very exciting."

"Christine is so deserving of this award because of the hard work and dedication she puts into all of her passions," stated Head Coach John Garrett. "She is one of our best defenders and is always willing to take on one of the opponents' best players."

Garrett then said: "Christine has the same attitude with her studies. She is a tireless worker that has a tremendous amount of discipline, focus and drive to achieve all of her goals. It has been so great to watch her grow as a student, an athlete and a person over the last three years. She was our first commit as a new coaching staff and exceeded every expectation that we have had."

Patterson, a 3.82 GPA student in Nursing, averaged 12.0 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from the field in a 5-1 month for the Hawks. She scored in double figures in three of the six contests, including a season-high 24-point performance in an 87-83 win over Brooklyn on Dec. 1.

"My favorite moment from my collegiate career thus far was beating Brooklyn on Homecoming this year," Patterson commented.

Patterson has led Hunter to its best start since 2009-10, boasting an 11-3 overall record and a 4-1 ledger against CUNYAC opposition. She ranks fourth on the Hawks in scoring (7.9 ppg) and has crashed the glass at a clip of 5.3 rebounds per contest, which is third-best on the team.

Patterson, who has been shooting hoops since she was 10 years old, feels that basketball is more than a game and teaches you the lessons you need to succeed in life.

"I love working hard at something to get better and being part of a team to achieve a goal," Patterson stated. "The skills developed as an athlete has helped me as a nursing major, improved my communication and allowed me the ability to take feedback and criticism."

Patterson also added: "You need to stay focused to achieve your goals and communicate to your peers. You also need to work through adversity and think critically and the game of basketball teaches you that you can only control so much. Basketball has been a big benefit for me through my academic career in high school and college."

Off the court, Patterson makes time to volunteer with several healthcare organizations. She is currently a research assistant at Heart to Heart Home Care, where she gets to practice clinical and client interviewing skills.

In her freshman year at Hunter, Patterson lent a hand at Mount Sinai Hospital with the Department of Emergency Medicine's C.A.R.E. (Care and Respect for Elders With Emergencies) program.

When asked about what participating in collegiate athletics has taught her, Patterson replied: "Being a student-athlete has taught me to work hard, sacrifice for others and stay disciplined. It has also reminded me to value friendships, always communicate, have fun in what you do and never give up."