Patrick Davis graduated in 1994 from TMI, where he was an outstanding baseball player. As a starting pitcher and part-time first baseman with a .500 career batting average, he led the Panthers to second place in TAPPS district.“Upon entering TMI, I quickly discovered that I would have the opportunity to define myself as a young man,” says Patrick. “The classrooms, fields and religious community provided the setting and origin for what would become a lifelong search for self-awareness.” He was offered a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, where he lettered three years, made the Dean’s List and was named to the Big East All-Academic team. Though Patrick’s senior season was cut short by knee surgery, he was offered a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, he accepted a job as assistant baseball coach and English teacher at TMI.

Since then, he has served 11 years as head baseball coach while teaching English. A former TMI athletic director, he also has served on the school’s Standards and Ethics Committee and as a dorm parent. “For me, servant leadership has always been about quieting one’s own life in an attempt to listen truly to those who need help,” says Patrick. He was chosen as graduation speaker for the class of 2005 and was the recipient of the 2006 yearbook dedication. “Whether in the classroom or on the baseball field, Patrick gives his heart to everything he does,” says Rising Stars Committee Chair Lisa Cooper McCutcheon ’86. “He chooses to teach and coach here at his alma mater, using his gifts and talents to help shape the leaders of tomorrow.”

Outside of school, he has volunteered for the Special Olympics and at the Good Samaritan Center. As a parent who nominated him for this honor wrote, “Patrick personifies the four pillars and provides a role model that our students can emulate.”