MAPS graduate credits resilience for achievements

In spring 2023, Patrick Anderson was lying in a hospital bed, unsure about his future.

Then a junior, Anderson had been on his way to track and field practice with his teammate, Will Coogan, when their car crashed and landed in a ditch. Both suffered injuries; Anderson’s were considered life-threatening.

“It seemed like I may never run again,” Anderson said. “But more than that, it seemed like a long way until I could just get back to normal life.”

Over the next two years and with the help of doctors, the support of family and his own resilience, Anderson managed a comeback. He continued his athletic career, completed his bachelor’s degree in environmental science and public policy and, most recently, graduated with a Master of Applied Professional Studies degree in business from The Graduate School.

MAPS is an interdisciplinary degree where students can design their own curriculum for specific career goals. The program was a perfect fit for Anderson, who, as a student-athlete, was looking for balance and flexibility in his studies.

“It helped me focus in on what I was interested in,” Anderson said. “I took courses on entrepreneurship, venture startups and was able to build a specific set of courses for my specific goals.”

Anderson says that his passion for entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with his love of running.

When he was in high school, Anderson and a track teammate ran their own landscaping business in Pittsburgh for almost four years. With over 30 local clients and 15 part-time employees, the teens learned key business lessons at a young age.

“There’s often a correlation between student-athletes who want to pursue entrepreneurship,”

Patrick Anderson has been a devoted Carolina athlete for five years. (Submitted photo)

Anderson said. “I think it’s because both disciplines require drive and grit. In sports and business, you have to handle losing and get back up to start looking for a new opportunity. It’s all about resilience.”

Resilience is what Anderson credits for getting through the aftermath of his car accident, and it’s what he relied on during the hardest days of pursuing his MAPS degree. Instead of keeping that sense of resilience to himself, Anderson has spent the past several months sharing it with the Carolina community at various speaking engagements.

“I hope it gives the audience motivation to know that they can endure hard things,” Anderson said. “As an athlete and a student, I keep hearing about how our generation is particularly anxious about the world’s challenges. I want to shed some light on what I’ve gone through but also what I’ve accomplished and show people that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”