She had a will to continue her education. She studied at the University of Southern California. During her studies in the University, she did part-time jobs on campus. She also worked as a sales clerk in a fashionable department store and as an extra in the film industry. She can be seen in a brief walk-on in the 1935 movie Becky Sharp. Pat's efforts became successful. She graduated from the University of Southern California cum laude in 1937.