Like many students, Patrick Roberts ’10 arrived at Brockport unsure of what to expect. “I had no idea what I was expecting,” he said. “But Brockport delivered an amazing experience for four years.”
One of the most defining parts of his experience was becoming a Resident Assistant (RA), an opportunity he pursued after encouragement from his own RA.
“I learned so much about life. It prepared me for the real world,” Roberts said. “Managing a floor is like managing employees—holding them accountable, building expectations, creating a safe place.”
Those lessons became even more valuable when he launched his business at 23 years old. “Being an RA taught me a lot of responsibility. When you’re in the real world, it all hits you at once. All those responsibilities you have to learn fast, where there’s more at stake.”
Today, as Managing Partner of Roberts Accounting, CPAs, P.C., Roberts is proud to offer that same kind of growth to students. Through a partnership with SUNY Brockport, he provides internships to students eager for real-world experience.
“I love watching the kids grow, teaching them, helping develop their curiosities,” he said.
Roberts understands the power of investing in students’ futures. Originally a math major, he pivoted to accounting with the guidance of mentors who saw his potential.
“The faculty and staff at Brockport did an incredible job of helping guide me to the right place,” he said. “They invested in me, helping me find the right career path.”
He still remembers the moment his direction became clear: “During my first intro to accounting class, Professor Gary Briggs flat out told me, ‘You’d be an amazing accountant.’”
Recently, Roberts established the Roberts Accounting Career Suite in the School of Business and Management’s Center for Student Success. The space is designed as a hub for mock interviews, employer sessions, résumé reviews, and other programming that helps students become “career ready.”
“I love seeing students use that room to build professional connections,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to showcase that accounting can be more than ones and zeros. A place where there are opportunities for success.”
For Roberts, giving back is deeply personal. “I found the love of my life at Brockport,” he said.
Roberts and his wife, Edita ’11, were both scholarship recipients. Today, they support the Mr. Patrick Roberts ’10 and Mrs. Edita Salkic-Roberts ’11 Scholarship in Business.
Dr. Heidi Macpherson, Edita Salkic-Roberts ’11, Patrick Roberts ’10, Michael Andriatch
“The scholarship was such a difference maker,” Roberts said. “It inspired us to create our own scholarship, because we know what it means to give back to something that got us where we are today.”
“The school hasn’t forgotten about us,” Roberts said. “Some bigger schools might forget about their donors. It makes you feel special to be recognized and be reminded of what we’re helping grow.”
He encourages other alums to give back, “Don’t forget what got you to where you are today. If Brockport fits in the reflection of where you are today, don’t ignore that. Lean in on that and decide how that should be valued.”