With the spring sports season canceled at its very beginning (or before it even started, for some Union teams) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UnionAthletics.com will spend the next few months spotlighting many of the Union seniors whose athletic careers came to a premature end. Previous senior profiles can be viewed by heading to http://www.unionathletics.com/seniorspotlights.
 
Patrick Glennon spent four seasons with the Union men's indoor track and field team and was ready to begin his third season with the outdoor track and field team as well this spring. A multi-faceted athlete who competed in the sprints and jumps for the Dutchmen, Glennon just missed All-Conference honors in the triple jump as a senior with a fourth-place finish, but still managed to qualify for the AARTFC Championships for the first time in his career with a mark that was nearly two feet better than his previous personal best.
 
Off the track, the psychology major is a two-time Liberty League All-Academic selection.
 
What has been your favorite moment as a student-athlete at Union?
My favorite moment at Union would be the culmination of our winter season this past year at the Liberty League Indoor Championships. In the past our team had struggled at this meet and many of our leaders this year made it our goal to elevate ourselves. We wanted to make strides towards team success and making Union one of the top track and field teams in the league to match the level of success many of our other teams have had recently. It was incredible to see the energy that our entire team brought, especially the younger athletes on the team, and how everyone truly competed at their highest level. It really made us, as leaders, proud of the progress we have made as a team, and the progress they will continue to make in the coming years. 
 
How has being a student-athlete at Union benefited you over the last four years?
Being an athlete in college has been an incredible experience for me in so many ways. When I transferred to Union my freshman year, it was tough for me transitioning as well as managing the stress of having a serious and fast-paced work load. The track team immediately offered an enjoyable escape from this stress as well as a family away from home that I could count on. Later on when I became one of the leaders of the team, it gave me a great deal of confidence and experience being a leader that I know will transfer to my post-collegiate career.
 
What has been your most meaningful experience outside of athletics?
My junior year I had the pleasure of taking part in the psychology internship course with Professor Cay Anderson-Hanley [Associate Professor of Psychology]. I worked at Central Park Middle School alongside the school psychologist learning how to do the job and even implementing tactics in cases that I handled myself. This experience has been extraordinarily valuable in helping me get good work experience and figure out what I wanted to do with my career. Union offers these courses to many majors and I would recommend any students pursue this opportunity to get valuable experience while in college and also getting course credit for it as well.
 
Who was/is your favorite professor at Union and why?
I have had an amazing group of professors throughout my college career, but if I had to pick one I would say Professor George Bizer [Professor of Psychology] in the psychology department. I was first introduced to him as my advisor when I was transferring, and he was super helpful making sure that I was comfortable and informed about what I would need to do to be successful at Union. Later, I took three courses with him and each one was a great experience. I often was able to speak with him about things beyond the scope of the courses he was instructing or the course load I was taking when in our advising meetings. Although he was not my direct advisor for my thesis, he was always interested and willing to help and see how I was progressing with my project. 
 
Do you have plans for post-graduation yet?  If so, what are they?
As of right now I am looking for jobs in clinical social work to get some experience and then eventually plan on getting my Master of Social Work if I plan on continuing in the field.
 
What advice would you give to younger athletes about their time at Union?
I would advise every athlete to make their experience one that they find valuable and enjoyable for themselves, rather than chasing an experience that is expected of them by others. There is a tendency to evaluate yourself in sports in regards to hitting certain stats or getting certain awards, in order to get the praise and recognition from others so you can be happy and proud of what you did. I don't think there should ever be any reliance on people outside of your circle to be happy with what you have accomplished. 
Another thing I would advise for younger athletes is to embrace the familial nature of athletics at Union. The group of athletes at this school are extremely supportive and proud of each other even across sports and it is a very tight community.