Staff Biographies

Patrick Donahue, Director

donahuedindiana.edu | 812-855-3207 | Staff Member Since: August 2003

Responsibilities

• Supervise and manage budget for an office of 16 professional staff, 2 support staff, 4 Graduate Assistants, 7 Career Ambassadors, and 2 Interns
• Coordinate strategic planning and represent the CDC/ASCS at meetings for the Division of Student Affairs and the College of Arts & Sciences
• Leader, Leadership Team
• Vice President, Hire Big Ten Plus Consortium
• Board Member, Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership

Education and Certifications

• Master of Education (College Student Personnel Administration), James Madison University
• Bachelor of Arts (Communications), James Madison University

Patrick Donahue has been involved in career services for over 20 years. His previous positions in higher education included Director of Career Services at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida from 1999-2003 and Assistant Director of Career Services at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee from 1993-1998. Before pursuing a career in higher education, Patrick was a journalist for the Virginian-Pilot, the executive producer's assistant on the TV show Coach, and a production assistant on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Patrick's worst job was cleaning cages from 6AM-7PM at his father's veterinary hospital. "Some people think they have had jobs that stink, but that job truly did," says Donahue. Patrick's funniest job was wearing the Purple Panda costume for a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood promotion. "I learned that whenever you need to make a child smile, all you have to do is dress up as a six foot, brightly colored, stuffed animal."

Regarding careers, Donahue says, "One of the keys to a lifetime of happiness is finding a career that invests in your interests, talents and values. Career Services is such a rewarding profession because we educate students about the many facets of career planning, then watch students grow as they learn more about themselves, test the waters through experiential learning, sail off into a sea of opportunities, and then return home to IU as alumni eager to educate students about their career choices and the paths before them. That's truly a story with a happy ending.

We all have gold nuggets of knowledge we pick up on our way through life. My favorite is from a philanthropist I once interviewed. He was known for always finding the joy in life, and I asked him the secret of his happiness. I keep his words in a frame on my desk. Here's what he said:

If you want to feel good for an hour, take a nap.
If you want to feel good for a day, go shopping.
If you want to feel good for a month, take a vacation.
If you want to feel good for a lifetime, help someone."