Student spotlight: Patrick Bresnahan

Patrick Bresnahan has been named the Crain’s Detroit Business 2014 Newsmaker Student Scholarship awardee. Bresnahan, who is majoring in finance and accounting in the School of Business Administration, has made the most of his Wayne State career – both inside and outside the classroom.

Never a high academic achiever in high school, Bresnahan was admitted to Wayne State in the fall of 2010 through the APEX Scholars, an alternative admission program designed to advise and assist students that had lower-than-average performance in high school. The program is based on the philosophy that students who are committed and willing to invest the time can succeed academically when provided with appropriate support services.

In Bresnahan’s case, committed may be an understatement. He took full advantage of every opportunity APEX Scholars had to offer, earning a 3.8 GPA his first year at Wayne State. With a successful first year under his belt, Bresnahan gained the confidence to branch out into new areas and experiences.

He joined the Business Student Senate and, during the summer of 2011, he headed to rural China – he is minoring in Mandarin Chinese – to teach English to high school students. Upon his return, he became even more involved in the Business Student Senate, eventually serving as the organization’s chief financial officer.

Last spring, Bresnahan also was elected president of the Financial Management Association. Since then, he and his colleagues – Tyler Haksluoto, Breanna Holman and Olta Sota – have been working with Associate Dean Margaret Smoller and others to raise $250,000 in seed funding to start a student-managed investment portfolio in the School of Business Administration.

Just as he received solid guidance and advice when he arrived on campus, Bresnahan seeks to use his experiences and student leadership positions to be a mentor to others. He believes the Newsmaker Student Scholarship will help him in these endeavors. 

"During my four years at Wayne State, I have been fortunate to have some incredible people for mentors, as well as having the opportunity to mentor others," he said. "I have been fortunate enough to be able to be involved, both on campus and around the world, while financing my education through a combination of scholarships, loans and part-time jobs. Receiving the Crain’s Newsmaker Scholarship allows me to continue to pursue my passion of giving back to the community and mentoring others, just as others have mentored me."

Bresnahan officially received the award in February at Crain's annual Newsmaker of the Year luncheon. He was honored alongside the year’s other newsmakers – including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan – in front more than 700 local business and civic leaders at the MotorCity Casino Hotel.

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