Arielle Patterson

I knew early on that I wanted to build a career connected to sport and to teaching and mentoring young people. Initially, I believed the best path would be through education. After earning my Sports Science Diploma from Douglas College, I planned to pursue studies in the Education Department at Simon Fraser University. However, an opportunity to work with the City of Surrey as a children’s camp leader and sport instructor introduced me to the field of recreation — and ultimately reshaped my career path.

Recognizing the breadth and impact of recreation services, I shifted my focus and completed coursework in Recreation Leadership, followed by a Bachelor of Recreation Management at Langara College. I have now worked in municipal recreation for more than 20 years with the City of Surrey and currently serve as the Recreation Services Manager for the Guildford Town Centre. In this role, I oversee recreation services and operations within the vibrant and diverse Guildford community.

Throughout my career, in addition to a love for community service, youth engagement has been a central focus and passion. I have worked directly with young people at the local level, planned and delivered large-scale city-wide youth events, and supported initiatives for at-risk youth across Surrey. In my current role, I also serve as Youth Functional Manager, where I provide strategic leadership by liaising with Youth Coordinators across the city to ensure consistent service delivery, training, philosophy, and a shared direction for youth services. While my role has evolved beyond front-line work, I continue to find great fulfillment in contributing to youth development in a broader, system-level capacity.