Patrick Collins

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“High integrity, loyal, hardworking leader that serves his coworkers and his family.”

Age: 32

Hometown: Manassas, VA

Family Members: Wife Jenny, Daughter Lucy (2.5 years old), Daughter Jolie (5 months)

Fun fact about yourself: I played basketball for University of Cape Town in South Africa during a study abroad program in college.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Virginia Tech; BS in Finance

Where are you currently working? Department of Commerce FCU; CFO

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles: I love spending time with my wife and daughters. I love sports of all kinds and specifically enjoy playing basketball and golf. I am also actively involved in my church.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? First, being hired as a CFO at age 27. Since then, we have grown our credit union to over half a billion dollars in assets.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I have a few for a variety of reasons.

1. Jeff Macher – Microeconomics – Jeff’s teaching style, knowledge, and time management kept everybody’s attention to the entire class. He simplified complicated topics using interesting case studies and lively discussion.
2. Jeannine Turner – Leadership Communication – Jeannine is great because there is no fluff. She is incredibly personable and makes all students feel comfortable. She designed her class to be one you can take from the classroom directly to your work.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I wanted a highly-ranked, reputable, local university that offered in-person learning. I did not want an online MBA program because I wanted to build relationships with fellow cohort members and alumni.

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? I most enjoyed having my horizons expanded. Meeting people from all over the world who work in every sector you can think of brings perspectives and ideas I would never be exposed to without business school.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? Relationships. The relationships I made with fellow cohort members and professors are what make the whole experience worth it. I now have lifelong friendships I can call on whenever I need anything in my career or in my personal life.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? Juggling family, work, and education responsibilities is the most difficult part of the program. From the start of the program until now, I have moved, my wife and I had our second daughter, and we relocated and cared for elderly grandparents. This was all done while balancing a demanding work schedule and the EMBA program. There is no way I could have done any of this without the support of family and friends, specifically my wife. Their support and dedication gave me the necessary time and energy to complete it all.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? It’s a family decision. Your entire family and support system must make a joint decision for you to start the EMBA program. You will need their support so have their buy-in before the program starts.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Niki Allen – We connected during the first residency, the first week of the program. Her dedication to her family, friends, and her work are second-to-none. Her personal story of overcoming adversity will motivate anybody to step out of their comfort zone in order to accomplish his/her goals. I am honored to have completed the EMBA program with Niki.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I wanted to become more well-rounded and advance my career.”

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to be the CEO of a multibillion-dollar credit union before the age of 40.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? An honest, hard-working cohort member who will be available to assist with anything in the future.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

1. Play golf at Augusta National Golf Club
2. Buy a lake house to host family and friends

What made Patrick such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“I recommend Patrick Collins for Poets & Quants “Best and Brightest EMBA Graduates.” Patrick was an EMBA student in my Microeconomics course in Fall 2018, and has many qualities that make him worthy of such recognition. First, Patrick has the intellectual “chops.” His academic performance in my course was simply outstanding. Second, Patrick was an active contributor. He consistently provided practical examples to theoretical concepts that improved the classroom learning environment. Third, Patrick was very well-liked by his classmates. He has developed many enduring and lifelong friendships from his EMBA experience. Finally, and on a personal note, Patrick and I would both frequent the gym in the mornings prior to class. His one-on-one basketball games with another classmate were epic, providing bragging rights to one and some good-natured ribbing to the other. For all of these reasons and many others, Patrick is deserving of this recognition.”

Jeff Macher
Professor

DON’T MISS: THE FULL LIST OF THE TOP 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST EXECUTIVE MBAS OF 2020