Many prominent women have a mission in life. They hope to influence the community around them and leave their footprints on the world. Enlightening and challenging students' minds, Patty Johnstone can easily be categorized as a prominent woman on campus.

As assistant director of the Center for Women Students and co-adviser of Penn State Survive, a peer-counseling group on sexual assault, Johnstone educates the University community on sexual assault -- its prevalence, causes and aftermath. She hopes to be remembered, she said, for her dedication and commitment to serving students through counseling and programming.

These programs are a mandatory component of the Greek system, part of dorm programming and presented to freshmen as part of orientation. One to two programs each month focus on violence against women, Johnstone said. In addition, she creates University brochures in order to provide students with current information on the topic.

"Patty is one of the most dedicated staff members here on campus. She gives countless hours educating students on sexual assault," said Sharon Mortensen, Penn State Survive co-adviser.

Besides being the center's assistant director, Johnstone has a joint appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) as a sexual assault counseling specialist. She has had to separate and know where to draw the line, she said, in order to have a life beyond her counseling.

"I couldn't do it if I didn't find a way to cope with it," Johnstone said. "I hear tough things and different experiences that I have to come to terms with, but I have to do my work and not take it home with me."

Johnstone holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California at Davis, and a Master's degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before coming to the University, she worked as a junior high and high school counselor in Wisconsin.

It's been really hard to be a working mother, she said, and she tends to feel guilty. But Johnstone had much support from her sons, Aaron, 16, and Dan, 21, as well as her husband, Christopher, an associate professor of speech communication at the University.

Aaron and Dan are proud of Johnstone's devotion to benefiting the community and making the world a better place, she said. Her husband has been a helpful stronghold in her egalitarian household, she added. He has made career choices affecting his career, she said, to provide more time caring for his children.

Describing herself as a serious person with a good sense of humor who is committed to social causes, Johnstone challenges beliefs in dealing with both controversial and women's issues.

"In today's society, feminism is a dirty word, and that is unfortunate," Johnstone said. "All students are really involved in is receiving equal treatment and equal rights for women, not to threaten anyone else."