Patrick Wilcox had a dream I could relate to, he wanted to be a history teacher. Our paths literally crossed in May of 2004 when both of us graduated from Genesee Community College’s teacher preparation program. After GCC, Patrick and I went to SUNY Brockport to complete our degrees in history, I graduated in 2006 and he followed a year later. We both went to on to the graduate program in history at SUNY Brockport; we attended a class together in the fall semester of 2007.

            On Sunday November 2, I received an email informing me that Patrick had died in his sleep the night before. Naturally, I was deeply saddened. Patrick and I had followed a similar dream and both overcame considerable obstacles to get there. My obstacles were largely due to poor decisions made in my youth, Patrick’s were due to a tragic accident which left him a quadriplegic when he was 17- years-old.

            Patrick’s life serves as an example of what an individual can accomplish with raw determination, dedication and support from one’s family. Whenever I saw Patrick, his mother or father accompanied him. In class, his mother feverishly took notes for her son, doing her part to fulfill her child’s dream. Such dedication displayed by a parent is simply inspirational, especially in an age where all too often we witness parents so wrapped up in their own lives they do not find the time to take an active role in their child’s education.

            When Patrick graduated in May of 2007, he was the first student across the stage. In preparation for the event, he had been working with a therapist so he could shake SUNY Brockport President John Halstead’s hand. The shaking of a hand on graduation day is something most students take for granted, but Patrick understood the significance of the event, and speaking from experience, there is no greater honor than to shake the College President’s hand on graduation day.

            Everyone’s life, no matter how brief, leaves us with important lessons. As Patrick wanted to be a teacher, it is only fitting that we take some important lessons from his life. In my case, there were many times that I was feeling a bit full of myself and all of my accomplishments, only to realize that there are people like Patrick that have overcome hundreds of times more obstacles than I would be capable of overcoming.

            There were times in the last few years where I was frustrated, overwhelmed and exhausted to the point where I questioned my decision to get a college degree. In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I have made and I have no regrets even as I try to balance demands at school with demands at home and work.

            History is full of lessons about individuals who overcome great obstacles, and now we can add to SUNY Brockport’s history the story of a courageous individual whose achievements remind us that with determination, we as individuals can reach our goals. Patrick reached for the heavens and I am sure our paths will cross there once again.