Patrick McCormack ran for the Embry-Riddle men's cross country and track teams from 2008-2012. A native of Westerville, Ohio, McCormack graduated with his degree in Human Factors Psychology in the spring of 2012.

Why did you choose Embry-Riddle?

From a young age, Embry-Riddle always seemed like the school I was going to end up attending. I grew up around aviation and when aviation plays such a big part of your life, Embry-Riddle is just a natural fit. We joke that our family history stretches back to the Wright Brothers. My great grandfather worked for Boeing, my grandfather worked as a bomber mechanic in WWII, my father was a pilot for US Airways and my mother graduated from Embry-Riddle in 1984 and worked for United, NetJets, Skybus, and National. In a way, you could say I was keeping with the "family business". 
However, all of that is only what got me interested in Embry-Riddle. What made me actually choose Embry-Riddle was the people. The people are what make Embry-Riddle what it is. Both academically and athletically. I went to the ERAU cross country camp when I was in high school. At that camp, I developed a great relationship with Coach Rosolino and Coach Hopfe. I also met Sam and Flo Vazquez at that same camp and began a friendship that lasts to this day. After leaving camp and developing those relationships, I began my senior year in high school knowing Embry-Riddle was where I would be going to school. 

What's your fondest memory about your time as an ERAU student-athlete?

What's weird is that as my time at Riddle becomes more distant, my fondest memories are often the little moments that I didn't pay much attention to when they were happening. It is too difficult to pick just one but there a couple that stand out. 
The first is the road trips to meets. Singing karaoke on the bus is a memory that still think of fondly. I'm not sure if James Corden owes us royalties for that idea but it is something we may have to investigate. 
Another fond memory is (strangely) some of the early morning practices. I remember waking up during my freshman year and walking over to the track from McKay Hall. I'd stop by Doolittle and wake up my teammate Matt Adkins. His roommate was not on the team, so I had to wake Matt up quietly. I would walk over to Matt's bunk and gently "boop" him on the nose to wake him up and tell him it was time for practice. If that story sounds adorable, it's because it is. I smile every time I think about it. 

Who had the biggest influence on you during your athletic career?

Easily my family. My mom, my dad, and my brother all sacrificed a lot for me during my athletic career. I would not have ended up running for ERAU had it not been for those sacrifices. I began running track and cross country when I was 10 years old. My parents spent a lot of time and money driving me to practices and taking me to meets in places like Joplin Missouri. Looking back, it's hard to wrap my brain around how much they cared about me. I can't thank them enough.

What do you remember most vividly about your time at ERAU?

Spending time with my friends. Similar to my fondest memories, my most vivid memories are not the "big events" so to speak. What I remember most vividly are little things like hanging out in the UC with teammates between classes, working late at night on a group project that we procrastinated on, and going to the breakfast buffet at the Student Village after a Sunday long run. 

What did you do right after graduating from ERAU?

Shortly after graduating, I was lucky enough to get a job as a Human Factors Research Associate with Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. I also began my career in the US Army Reserves after commissioning through the ERAU Army ROTC program. 
 
When I wasn't working, I was spending time with my now wife (Sarah) and the friends I was making through work. We'd spend time running together, going to Columbus Crew games, and hanging out around the Short North (an Arts District near downtown). 

Tell us a little bit about what you're doing now

I'm lucky enough to still be working at Battelle. I work as Human Factors Engineer with Battelle's medical device group. It has been such a fantastic experience and one that I can definitely say would not have happened had it not been for Embry-Riddle. 
I recently started coaching high school cross country at Upper Arlington High School here in Columbus. My wife and I also foster dogs through a special needs rescue called Speak for the Unspoken. Coaching and fostering have both been such rewarding experiences. 

How did your experience at ERAU shape your career path?

It's hard to imagine I'd be where I am in my career without Embry-Riddle. The faculty within the Human Factors department is truly world class and are well respected within the industry. Seeing "Embry-Riddle" on my resume is what ultimately got me a job interview. Once I was fortunate enough to get hired, the experiences I gained in the classroom enabled me to contribute to projects in a meaningful capacity earlier in my career. 

What are some lessons you learned at ERAU that have served well in your life after college?

Being okay with failure. One of the great things about Embry-Riddle is it will challenge you, but it will also provide you with a safe space to fail. I failed over and over again during my four years at Embry-Riddle. However, the lessons I learned from each of those failures are what helped me the most later in life. 

What advice do you have for ERAU's current student-athletes?

Focus on building healthy relationships. Build a healthy relationship with yourself, your teammates, and your competition. Building healthy relationships will allow you to have a better overall experience. It will help you with everything from race day anxiety, to your studies, to being a good teammate. It will also help you after college. Everything in life is about relationships. 
 
Avoid comparison. Mark Twain said, "Comparison is the death of Joy" and he was 100% correct. Try to re-program your brain to just focus on your own individual journey. In all sports (but especially in XC/T&F), you are on a journey to try to be better than your former self. A journey against yourself and with yourself. You'll go on this journey in the presence of others but never in comparison to others.
 
See yourself as an explorer. The mindset of the explorer is one that embraces uncertainty. We don't know how fast we can run. We don't know how far we can throw. We don't know how high we can jump. If you see yourself as an explorer and acknowledge that you don't know where these limits are but are always exploring where they are…then we take away the ceiling of what "success" is and we are just open to the possibilities.

What would you say were your greatest athletic and academic accomplishments during your time at ERAU?

From a team perspective, I'd say never losing a conference title in either Cross Country or Track and Field was pretty special. Being a member of relay teams that won conference championships and competed at the NAIA indoor track championships was a great experience as well. Sam Vazquez probably deserves a lot of the credit on the relay front. It certainly helps having an Olympian on your team. 
Speaking of Sam, I did beat him once in a mile time trial. We jokingly say that I'm at least part owner of the Puerto Rico national 1500m record because of that fateful day. You may have to reach out to Sam for comment, but I believe that was the understanding we came up with. 

What was your favorite non-athletics activity at ERAU?

It isn't very original but going to the beach and spending time on the water was fantastic. I think about that a lot during the cold months up here in Ohio. Going to the Rolex 24 was also a lot of fun. I grew up a Hoosier at heart, so it was always great being able to see some of my favorite Indianapolis 500 drivers up close.