Seton Hall ‘17 alumna Michelle Patterson is taking her competitive spirit to the world stage as a contestant on season 39 of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” premiering on Sept. 30.
Alongside her husband, Patterson took on the nearly month-long competition against 12 other duos for a $1 million grand prize.
But before she was racing around the world, Patterson was a Pirate.
Hailing from Jersey City, Patterson came to SHU following in her older sister’s footsteps, majoring in public relations and marketing. Nearly 10 years after graduation, Patterson still misses certain aspects of college, particularly the community SHU gave her.
“I just miss people…I met so many of my best friends at Seton Hall, people that were in my wedding party, people that are basically my family now,” Patterson said. “I miss seeing them in classes every day.”
Although Patterson misses the everyday interactions of college, she said SHU’s impact on her extended beyond friendships. The university also gave her professional connections and a network she could rely on throughout her career.
“I always had something to fall back on,” Patterson said. “I knew I could reach out to someone if I needed help to move into a different career.”
Beyond meeting her best friends and receiving a “phenomenal” education, Patterson reflected on the “team aspect” woven throughout her college experience.
“Even though I was a commuter, I still felt so involved, and everyone just really meshed together,” Patterson said. “There were people from all over the country in my classes, too.”
That exposure to individuals from different cultures and backgrounds aided Patterson in her endeavors on “The Amazing Race.”
“I just felt the safety of knowing I've dealt with people from all over the world in school and throughout my life,” Patterson said. “ I felt good interacting with others [abroad].”
After graduating college, Patterson first worked for her family’s auto body business before transitioning into real estate with her sister. But throughout her professional life, one thing remained constant: her competitive nature.
Patterson has always been athletic—from pole vaulting to bodybuilding—and has always craved competition. Eventually, she found herself searching for a way to channel that competitive energy, and “The Amazing Race” was the place.
Patterson had spent many nights with her mom and sister watching “The Amazing Race.” She recalled screaming at the TV, insisting that they could do so much better than the contestants.
Patterson agreed and decided to prove it.
She first tried to get her mom and sister to apply as her partner, but her attempts fell flat. She finally struck gold once she got married.
“I was bugging [my husband] for a while, like, ‘let's do it, let's do it, let's do it’…still no,” Patterson said. “I finally got him into watching it, and he was like, ‘Okay, we could probably do this,’ cause we were like, ‘I want a million dollars.’”
So they applied, and shortly after, received a call from the show’s team. After months of interviews, including a trip to Los Angeles for an in-person interview, Patterson and her husband officially joined the show.
Once the competition began, Patterson said her husband proved to be “definitely the right partner to have.”
“Being married and having kids definitely helps because we're dealing with a million things every single day,” Patterson said. “Nonverbal cues that we have with each other…I could look at him and he would know what I'm thinking, let's go, we need to get out of this situation before someone sees us.”
Despite her athletic background, “The Amazing Race” was no easy feat. Competing against Olympians and world athletes, Patterson’s mindset kept her from feeling intimidated.
“They sat me down for my first interview and they said, ‘Michelle, aren’t you intimidated by all these professional athletes here?’” Patterson recalled. “That’s another thing with being a Pirate through and through; I went in there hustling—whatever I wanted, I was gonna get it.”
However, Patterson said the physical challenges were not the hardest part of the competition—it was “the unknowns.”
“You're in a different country; you don't know if this person's keyboard's going to be in English …all with the pressure of [having] a camera on your face, you have sound right in your face and you have only what is on your backs,” Patterson said. “You are just going off of looking at these directions and running and hoping you're going in the right direction.”
For Patterson, the challenges did not end when the competition did. Now, she has to wait and see how she was portrayed on television.
As with any reality television show, contestants never know how the producers will frame their personalities or how viewers will perceive them. Patterson said that “it might be a rough one” for her, as she “let it all fly.”
“I'm definitely the villain of the season,” Patterson said. “I was just a no-BS person where everyone else wants to sing Kumbaya and make friends…that's great, but I left my babies; I’ll see you at the finish line.”
Regardless of how she is portrayed, and if she wins the money, Patterson said the experience itself was “priceless.”
“There's people that I talk to from the show every day now,” Patterson said. “You meet new people. Even though I wasn't there to make friends, I made them.”
Patterson “100%” thinks young people should apply for the opportunity.
“I mean, it's a million dollars. There's only 13 teams…a one in 13 chance of winning,” Patterson said. “Where else is that gonna happen? It's not gonna happen.”
Feeling inspired to apply? Patterson suggests being authentic, adding that producers “see through” strategic preparation for the application and interviews that follow, and emphasizing that a duo should have “playfulness.”
“They want a story…your partner really has to puzzle piece with you,” Patterson said. “You don't have to be the same person, but your banter has to be great…[my husband and I] know how to bust each other's chops, and they want to see that if you're in a situation and someone says something to you, you’re not just gonna stand there.”
“Just show yourself, give it a little extra pizzazz and oomph, and they're gonna say ‘Yes, we want you,’” Patterson continued.
Patterson’s journey—from a Pirate to a real estate agent to a reality television contestant— has reinforced one lesson she hopes students will take away from her experience: go after what you want.
“You can talk yourself until you're blue about doing something, but you need to put in the work…you just have to go ask a million questions,” Patterson said. “People don't realize people who know more than you love to give information…if you find one person that you can ask anything to, just flood them with a million questions.
“Never be afraid that you're gonna make a fool of yourself because you'll just never get anywhere in life…just go for it, reach for the stars and you will definitely succeed,” Patterson added.
To find out how Patterson and her husband fared in “The Amazing Race,” catch the season 39 premiere on Sept. 30 at 9:30 p.m. on CBS.
Lakyn Austin is the managing editor of The Setonian. She can be reached at lakyn.austin@student.shu.edu.
