One Family, Two Alumni: A Commitment to Education That’s Opening Doors at Arcadia

For Patrick Trainor ’19MEd, Arcadia University has never been just a campus. It has always been part of the landscape of his life–woven into childhood memories, family conversations, and the values that ultimately shaped his career in education.

Patrick grew up in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where Beaver College—as Arcadia was then known–stood as a familiar presence in the community. Long before he became a student, Arcadia was already home to his mother, Dr. Kathy Trainor ’08EdD, P’19.

Kathy worked in the University’s childcare center, and when the center closed, her commitment to young learners and future educators did not waver. She transitioned into the Education Department, becoming one of Arcadia’s early-childhood professors. She taught, mentored, and supported students there until she passed away—leaving behind a legacy grounded in kindness, inclusion, and belief in others. Known as “K-Train” to the Arcadia community, Kathy even continued to work while she was undergoing cancer treatments.

Patrick would eventually follow a path shaped by her example. Although he once imagined a future as an immigration lawyer, it was his mother who helped him see where his strengths and passions truly aligned. She gently redirected him toward education—and toward Arcadia.

Education has been the foundation of Patrick’s entire adult life. As a graduate student at Arcadia, he found support not only in his coursework, but in people who believed in him. Dr. Bruce Campbell, former associate professor of Education, played a pivotal role during that time, offering guidance and encouragement as Patrick navigated the challenges of the master of education program.

Kathy understood those challenges well. She was a fierce advocate for non-traditional students and believed deeply in the importance of community, especially at Arcadia. She wanted everyone to feel welcome, supported, and seen. She often encouraged students to find their people, to build connections, and to remember that no one succeeds alone.

For Patrick, she was that anchor.

“She was my sounding board,” he reflects. “She was the one who always pushed me to keep going.”

One lesson, in particular, has stayed with him throughout his career—words his mother shared that continue to guide how he shows up for his students: “Be kind. Think. Then act. Listen as much as you can… your students are going through a lot.”

Those words capture Kathy’s philosophy as an educator and as a person. They also live on through Patrick, whose work in education reflects the same empathy, thoughtfulness, and commitment to students that defined his mother’s life.

Arcadia shaped Kathy’s career. Arcadia shaped Patrick’s journey. And through both of them, the University’s mission—to educate with purpose, compassion, and inclusivity—continues to ripple outward, touching generations of learners. Their story is a reminder that education is more than a profession. It is a legacy, passed from one heart to another, rooted deeply in community—and carried forward with kindness.

In the years ahead, Kathy’s impact on Arcadia and its students will continue in a lasting and tangible way. Patrick and his family are in the process of creating an endowed scholarship for non-traditional students in education at Arcadia University, ensuring that the values Kathy lived by—access, community, and belief in every learner—remain central to the institution she loved.

Dr. Kathy Trainor ’08EdD, P’19, passed away on June 15, 2025, but her legacy endures through the countless students she taught, the educators she inspired, and the future teachers who will find support and belonging through this scholarship. In honoring her life’s work, Patrick and his family are helping to open doors for generations to come… just as Kathy did every day at Arcadia.

If you’d like to learn more about honoring the memory of Dr. Kathy Trainor, an endowed scholarship, or how to honor the memory of your own loved one, please reach out to Vice President of Development and Alumni Engagement, Brigette A. Bryant, at bryantb@arcadia.edu.