Patrick Blaine – World Traveler
Patrick Blaine is a Spanish professor at Morningside College. He has traveled the world and continues to influence his peers and students through these experiences. Professor Blaine first started his travels by spending a year in Spain as an undergrad. This trip changed his life forever. The experience showed him the possibilities of learning from other cultures, languages, and history.
Patrick Blaine is part of the Spanish faculty and has taught at Morningside College for six years. On campus he works with ISA, ODK, film club, and Spanish club just to name a few. Besides working at Morningside College he is also a professional translator and works with an immigrant services charity, the local radio station, the city environmental board, and the police department Spanish testing.
He started his travels with spending a year in Spain. He explained that this first trip changed him forever. He suddenly could see all the possibilities that were open to him. Professor Blaine did have struggles that first year with culture shock but he encouraged that you just had to break that pattern of thinking.
Patrick Blaine has traveled to over 15 different countries around the world. Growing in his experiences along the way. The longest time he spent outside the United States was the 3 years he spent in Chile working as an interpreter. There he met his wife.They eventually had to leave Chile because of the better opportunities that were offered to him in the U.S.
Professor Blaine encourages all students to study abroad. He says, “if you can do it, go”. He explains that through travel it teaches you self-reliance that no other experience offers. Patrick continued with, “the experience is one that changes you forever”.