Name: Patrick (Pat) Mitchell
Hometown: Ashburn, VA (right outside Washington DC)
Field(s) of Study: Double Major in Hospitality and Tourism / Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing
Quick! What are three words you would choose to describe yourself? Exuberant, ambitious and charming.
Tell me about your spirit animal. I honestly don’t even know how to respond to this… but I have taken a quiz on what my spirit animal should be and it was a butterfly, because I’m “playful.” But, really I think I would be a leopard, ’cause sometimes I stand out but I also know when to fade into the background of things.
So, what are you involved in here at CofC? Well… I’m the former Vice President of my fraternity (Beta Theta Pi) and Circle K International. Now, however I am the event coordinator for Charleston 40, the college’s student tour guide organization. I am also a member of the Student Alumni Associates and in the cheese club. This summer, I was an orientation intern for the college, all while holding two jobs, one as the executive assistant at Campus Center Apartments and now as an intern for Belmond Charleston Place hotel.
Wow! What’s your big secret to balancing all of your responsibilities? I honestly don’t have one. It’s your typical deal: get organized. I have a knack for keeping things where they should be and always writing things down in my iPhone so that it connects to all my calendars, emails, etc.
What was your favorite part about being an orientation intern? My favorite part about being an orientation intern was interacting with the students and parents. It’s awesome to hear each individual story and interact with them, all while hearing how the parent has handled the whole college process. I really enjoyed my time as an orientation intern this past summer.
What do you do as an intern for Belmond Charleston Place hotel? How is it so far? For Belmond I work in the human resources department. We collate papers and resources for guidelines as well as benefits and 401K paperwork for the employees. I do a bunch of other small tasks but that’s the gist of it! It’s teaching me a lot.
It’s 2 AM and you still have three more pages to write – what are you listening to and snacking on? My guilty pleasure is Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” and I’d probably be caught eating Reese’s cups.
What has been your favorite course here at CofC so far? My favorite course so far would definitely have to be my hotel management class that I am taking for hospitality! It’s my forte, so I actually enjoy the material and I appreciate the class.
Do you have a favorite spot in Charleston? Hands down my favorite spot in Charleston would have to be Philadelphia Alley. It’s a quaint street off Cumberland St. and past Church St. that is filled with luscious greenery and is the epitome of Charleston’s natural beauty.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to have graduated from grad school at University of Baltimore with a design degree, so that I can pursue my dream career in New York working at GQ magazine… but we shall see what falls into place in the meantime!
You are allowed to pass one token of wisdom from your years here at CofC to an incoming freshman. What is it? LIVE IT UP. Don’t stress yourself out with school or life, but rather enjoy every second you have at this college. There’s a reason you chose to go here so why not explore that and experience all that college life has to offer; you can worry about adult life once you graduate.
All pictures credited to Pat Mitchell’s Facebook.