When Patrick Humen was recognized in October of 2013 as a baiduhai Athlete of the Month, he had played three years of soccer at Libertyville High School and then in his senior year he became a member of the cross-country team — finishing first in the Libertyville Invite and at Conference.
Fast forward four years and Humen, now a senior majoring in Finance and Supply Chain Management at Indiana University, prepares to graduate in May 2018. Hard work and training on the course is something he has learned to translate over into his personal life. Being a part of the Kelley School of Business has provided him with multiple summer internships, as well as studying abroad in Milan, Italy. Balancing all of these things with athletics and academics has required constant commitment, he says.
“Staying disciplined was the hardest aspect for me in my transition to college. In high school, there was class at the same time every day and then practice right afterwards. In college, you aren’t necessarily required to attend every class and you have much less in class work each day,” Humen explains. “It took me a semester to completely adjust and to put in the correct amount of work outside of class to perform at the level I wanted to.”
According to Patrick’s mother, Laura Humen, Patrick’s transition from high school to college was an easy one for the family. “He adjusted well and seemed happy from the start, which is what we as his parents hoped for. Knowing your child is happy makes it much easier to have them so far from home,” she says.
Patrick says he does not run competitively any more, but still puts in plenty of miles on his own. “I ran my first marathon last November in Indianapolis with a time of 3 hours 14 minutes,” he says.
An impressive marathon time, no doubt, but according to Laura, even more impressive is that he did it while managing many other important things. “When it comes to Patrick as an athlete, he is a very motivated individual and strives for success. He set the goal for himself to run the Indianapolis Marathon, and in order to do that he had to train all semester, while carrying a full academic load, interviewing for internships and working on a case competition.”
Patrick says having his family’s support has helped make his college experience great. “My parents supported me both inside and outside athletics and I always knew they had my back and supported whatever decision I made no matter what it was in, sports, school, or my career,” he says. “Their support and trust in me has helped tremendously in how I got to where I am now.”
As students and athletes wind their way through college, there often grows a new appreciation for the family. “Living away from home and working two internships has given me a new respect for all the effort my parents gave to me in both school and athletics,” Patrick says. “I never truly understood all the work they put in for me on top of the fact that they worked full time jobs. I took for granted having home-cooked dinners when I finished practice and having my parents support me whenever I had games or meets. I cannot be more thankful for everything they have done for me.”