Name: Abraham Patterson
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Year: Junior
Major: Early Childhood & Special Education
Minor: Athletic Coaching
Sport(s): Football

I chose to attend Heidelberg because ...
The small campus community that we're known for. The small student population and being able to make those meaningful relationships with your professors really sounded ideal for me. Even though I never had the opportunity to visit Heidelberg or any other schools, hearing all the positive comments and things I was told about this institution, I knew that this would be the right choice. 

The best part about playing a sport at Heidelberg is ...
The brotherhood that the football team creates. Knowing that I could go to any member of the team from players all the way up to coaches for help and they would be there is the best part. I've made friendships that will last a long time and couldn't be more grateful for the university and the football program for allowing  that to happen.  Being able to call the team my family when my family is so far away makes it even better. 

Heidelberg is unique because ... 
It completely different from anything I have experienced. From spending a majority of my life living overseas on the opposite side of the world, meeting people from all over and learning about their cultures and different lifestyles and being so accepting of my own just made me feel at home.  Heidelberg gave me the opportunity to be apart of groups that are bigger than myself such as HUCTM (Heidelberg University's Council of Teachers of Mathematics) which I am president of where we can impact young students in local schools around northwest Ohio. Also, to be apart of a football team in the best conference in the country is just a blessing and I couldn't be happier. 

My career goal is ... 
Become a teacher for the Department of Defense Education Activity and hopefully teach students overseas just like the teachers I grew up with. 

Describe your most unique experience at Heidelberg (top internships, study abroad, etc.) ... 
My most unique experience is just being at Heidelberg in general. From spending half my life living on various military bases or out in Japanese neighborhoods, coming back to the United States after a long time away, Heidelberg became a home away from home and became a place I always wanted to be at. Being accepted and building relationships with others that may not be from the most conventional lifestyles was just a comforting feeling.  The campus additionally has provided me the opportunity to work in a variety of the different local schools with my teaching hours to build relationships and impact students more than I would have thought I would have at this point in my life.