All-American athlete to dedicated librarian

By Troy Lipscomb

December 17, 2024

Since 2000, Amanda Pata has been working as a librarian at North, creating a supportive learning environment for students. Before coming to North, Pata was a dedicated athlete, excelling in softball and basketball throughout high school and college.

For some athletes, including Pata, making new friends and meeting new people is part of being in a team. Through her travel softball league, Pata was able to use the sport to create lifelong friendships.

“I really like playing sports,” Pata said. “That is where most of my closest friends were from. I liked playing travel sports with the girls I did not go to high school with and I played against.”

Growing up in rural Michigan, attending high school gave her opportunities to set goals for herself. With helpful coaching and competitive academics, she became a skilled varsity athlete.

“[I attended] Hastings High school and I played basketball and softball,” Pata said. “I was a varsity player for two years for basketball and for four years for softball.”

After graduating high school, Pata did not stop committing to the sports she loved. Continuing her passion for softball in college, she excelled on the field as a catcher and earned achievements.

“I played at Wayne State all four years at Wayne, and was an All-American my junior and senior year as a catcher,” Pata said.

During college Pata continued to focus on academics while focusing on being the best athlete she can be. Taking her degree into the world, Pata’s commitment to learning and passion for education led her to become a science teacher until later transitioning into her role as a librarian.

“I studied secondary education,” Pata said. “I was a science teacher for 10 years. But I also studied secondary education in English and science, then went back later for my library degree.”

Now serving as the school librarian, Pata helps create an enjoyable environment for students to learn. Through being involved in clubs during her time in high school, Pata decided to create her own at North.

“I focused on business classes for my clubs,” Pata said. “I did Business Professionals of America. I also did Travel Club and Spanish Club.