Master Chief Patton is a 1972 graduate of Cass Technical High School and was a member of the JROTC program reaching the rank of Cadet Major. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after graduation and served for 30 years. He became the first African American in U.S. Coast Guard history to reach the senior most rank and leadership position as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. His successful accomplishments during his military career included earning the nation's highest peacetime award for performance, the Distinguished Service Medal.
It was during his years as a student and JROTC cadet at Cass Tech, which provided the exceptional foundation of determination, dedication and discipline that drove his success both in and out of the military. He learned the fundamentals of the desired need to develop personal core values of "people, passion, and performance" which became his roadmap for success.
It is for this reason that this annual scholarship was created to be awarded to stellar students of the JROTC program, to allow them to make their vision become a reality.
