144: Rianna Patterson

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

My guest this week is Rianna Patterson, an accredited coach, social entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, mental health advocate and founder of the Dominica Dementia Foundation.

She has also done film work for an NHS client on the importance of music for people with dementia, and in the interview Rianna talks about the importance of celebrating older people.

We find out why Rianna became involved in this research and the stigma around it, and she discusses how we have come a long way in terms of how we deal with grief.

Born in Hackey and raised in Dominica, Rianna came to the University of Kent to study Psychology and graduated in 2020. She talks about how she has retraced the timeline and story of her grandparents. We talk about how there is so much more to a person than, say, their job, and why it is important to have human conversations.

Rianna’s earliest memories include going to the beach with her grandparents, and we learn that from a young age Rianna perfected the art of video editing. She talks about how her music tastes have changed and the live acts she has seen, and we find out about the time she played football with GoldLink. She also reveals that she would love to meet her namesake Rihanna.

We learn what prompted Rianna to study Psychology and why coming to Kent was such a shock because of the traditions she was leaving behind. She was involved in the Caribbean Union, and we find out about the lecturers who inspired Rianna and why the Kent Pole Fitness Society was especially important.

We also learn about the values that Rianna is keen to uphold and about the log she keeps of what she does and her goals, as well as why her 15 year old self would be floored if she saw what Rianna is doing now, and why if Rianna looks back it is in order to look forward.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Rianna Patterson and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.