Finding His Way: Patrick Corbett’s Unexpected Journey

When Patrick Corbett first enrolled in college in 2017, he couldn’t have imagined that one day he would be a graduate with a 4.0 GPA, let alone an engineer, a college instructor, and a father.

“I failed so many times,” Corbett says. “And if you told me at 20 years old that I was going to be in the position that I am now, then I don’t think I would have believed myself.”

Corbett, who graduated from Excelsior University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology in 2025, works as an electronic warfare engineer for SRC Inc., a defense contractor focused on technologies that help protect military service members. Corbett also teaches industrial electricity at Onondaga Community College, in Syracuse, New York, and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Excelsior.

He still finds his success humbling.

A Loss That Changed Everything

Corbett’s career path began with his family.

His father owned a construction company and was the first person to encourage him to think beyond working with his hands. “Basically, the first thing he said to me, he said, ‘Patrick, I don’t want you working for me,’” Corbett recalls. Instead, his father suggested that he look into studying electrical technology at Onondaga Community College because he could succeed financially and professionally in such a diverse field. Corbett started the program in 2017, but just two months later, his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

The loss was devastating for Corbett, and he dropped out of college.

He found himself trying to process grief while figuring out what direction his life would take. So, for a time, he stepped away from school. He was unsure what his future would hold and didn’t know what to do next. Ultimately, he settled on a direction.

“I realized [my father] probably wouldn’t want me to drop out,” Corbett says.

The Right Fit at Excelsior

Corbett had difficulty finding a higher education institution where he felt like he belonged. He eventually returned to Onondaga Community College and finished his associate degree in electrical technology in 2021. At the same time, he landed a position as an electronics RF technician at SRC. He then enrolled in an online electrical engineering program at Arizona State University, but the experience didn’t feel like the right fit.

Then, he remembered that professors at Onondaga Community College—an education partner of Excelsior University­—spoke highly of Excelsior, so he decided to make the switch.

For Corbett, the biggest draw was balance. He was working full time, teaching, and building a family life with his fiancée and young daughter. At Excelsior, he found an online format that gave him clarity and structure from the start. He appreciated being able to look ahead, understand course expectations, and build school around the realities of his daily life. Just as important, he found professors who were accessible and invested.

“The work-life balance … is the whole reason why I chose Excelsior,” he says, adding, “I really was able to thrive [because] the professors really pay attention to you.”

That support helped him succeed.

Work with Real-World Impact

 Corbett graduated from Excelsior University in August 2025 with a 4.0 GPA, and soon after, he was promoted to his current position as an electronic warfare engineer.

At SRC, he supports and contributes to the development of many crucial technical systems, including the Duke system, which emits signals that prevent improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, from blowing up. He also helps reverse engineer enemy radar systems by analyzing signal data and developing computer models that replicate their behavior and performance. Then, that information is loaded onto military aircraft and ships so personnel can recognize dangerous signals, like those emitted from an incoming missile, and know how to jam them.

It’s meaningful work for Corbett. “I think the most rewarding part about it is just knowing you’re saving a life,” he says. “Just being able to do anything that you can to make sure that they make it home safe to their families is the most important aspect of the job.”

As a father, Corbett approaches his work with gravity. He often thinks about service members with families waiting for them to return home. The responsibility, he says, keeps him focused.

Student to Teacher 

While building his engineering career, an unexpected opportunity opened for Corbett. An adjunct position in Corbett’s field became available at Onondaga Community College, so he quickly applied. Former professors at his alma mater remembered the student he had been and the potential they had seen in him. So, when they saw he had applied, they were excited at the prospect of having him return as a faculty member.

They offered Corbett the chance to teach industrial electricity and develop a course from the ground up.

He is now in his fourth semester teaching at Onondaga Community College and says his favorite part of being in the classroom is the moment when something finally clicks in a student’s head.

He knows the feeling well because he has lived it himself.

“I love seeing when they just don’t understand something, and then that second it finally clicks,” he says. “Then I get to tell them, ‘See, I told you you’d be able to do it.’” He hopes he can help them stay on their paths and meet their goals.

Learning from Failure

Corbett knows firsthand how easy it is to feel like the finish line is too far away. He also knows what it feels like to miss family events, lose free time, and wonder whether the sacrifices are worth it. But he believes there is value in staying focused on the bigger picture.

“You’re allowed to be selfish for something that’s going to better your future. And I think that’s a big aspect that a lot of students need to see,” Corbett says. “I tell my students that, as well. I say, ‘You’re allowed to be selfish because this is for you, and overall, you’re the only one that’s going to be able to live your life. So, this is the way to make it better.’”

Corbett says that, looking back, one lesson stands above the rest: What feels like failure in the moment often turns into something much bigger.

“I’ve realized that your greatest failures are actually your biggest successes,” he says.

That realization has defined much of his journey.

Where He Wants to Be

The young man who dropped out of college more than once is now an engineer, a teacher, a graduate student, a father, and a soon-to-be husband. And he’s a professional who is trusted with work that helps protect lives.

Corbett is also someone who understands that success doesn’t always look the way you imagined it.

These days, when he isn’t working, studying, or teaching, Corbett spends time with his fiancée, daughter, and family, or out on the golf course, whenever he can.

Life is busy now, but in the best way.

“It’s nice. It’s steady,” he says. “It’s where I want to be.”