A Life of Service, Rooted in Community

Posted On

March 25, 2026

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Patricia “Tia” McCormack ’76, M.Ed., LCSW, has spent a lifetime helping people find their footing—guiding teenagers through parenthood, building programs for families in crisis, and connecting communities to the resources they need.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift,” she said. “The purpose is to give it away.”

As she prepares to return to Emmanuel College for her 50th reunion, she can trace that purpose back to where it began—and even earlier, to a childhood shaped by working-class life in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Early Influences

McCormack grew up in a blue-collar community where her parents worked at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and where conversations about work, fairness, and economic uncertainty were part of daily life.

A labor strike in her childhood left a lasting impression.

“It taught me about social justice very early on,” she said.

In 1964, as part of the War on Poverty, President Johnson’s administration created the Equal Economic Opportunity Act, which established Community Action Programs so those who were poor or low-income could learn to "help themselves." Local leaders wrote grants and secured government funding for community-based programs.

That perspective was reinforced in school, where she was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame, whose commitment to serving the poor and working-class communities emphasized self-reliance. Her parents reinforced those same values at home, equipping her with the foundation for an enduring commitment to helping people help themselves.

McCormack carried this awareness into her early jobs in recreation, where she began working closely with children and families first as a lifeguard and then a pool director.

“It was not just swimming: I saw the life experiences that families were going through as we taught their children to swim and actually float in the ever-changing world we were experiencing,” she said.

Finding Direction

At Emmanuel, McCormack found both direction and confidence. A transfer student paying her own way, she arrived on a campus that was small, close-knit, and in transition. At the time, nearly the entire student body lived together in one residence hall, creating a uniquely connected community. McCormack embraced it fully.

“I went door to door introducing myself,” she said. “I wanted to know everyone.”

Her experience extended beyond the classroom. As a work-study student, she served as an admissions assistant—an opportunity that introduced her to the many different paths students took to access higher education.

“It opened my eyes to how people get to college and what they need to succeed,” she said.

Mentorship also played a defining role. Faculty members including Sociology Professors Britta Fischer and John M. Grady and Physics Professor Sister Camille Minichino helped shape her academic and professional direction, while her studies in sociology and political science gave her a broader understanding of systems and communities.

“Emmanuel was life-changing for me,” she said. “It gave me the confidence to lead and the understanding of how to work with people from all backgrounds.”

Why the Work Matters Now

That foundation, she said, feels especially relevant today.

Through initiatives like the Fenway Social Work Collaborative with Simmons University, Emmanuel is creating new pathways for students to enter the social work profession—an area McCormack believes urgently needs attention.

“We need more people in this field,” she said. “Social workers are overwhelmed. People don’t know how to access services, and even when they do, they don’t know what to do next.”

For McCormack, the connection between education and opportunity remains central.

“If we increase access to education, we increase opportunity—not just for individuals, but for entire families.”

After graduating in 1976, McCormack built a career in community-based social work, often in under-resourced communities across Massachusetts.

Over the course of her career, McCormack earned credentials as a licensed clinical social worker and served as a school adjustment counselor and guidance counselor in both Massachusetts and Florida.

In one of her first roles, as a youth coordinator in Holbrook, she developed programs to address rising drug use and create inclusive spaces for young people. With a modest budget, she partnered with college work-study students to build a full summer recreation program. McCormack was the first woman on the South Shore to hold the position.

“We didn’t have a lot of money,” she said. “So we had to be creative.”

Her work expanded into broader social services in communities like Wayland, where she served as a social worker working with the police department and local youth. In Lowell, at Community Teamwork Inc. (CTI), she supported families navigating housing instability, childcare needs, and access to education and employment, and directed after-school programs that enabled low-income parents to work.

In Lowell and Lawrence, she also saw the continued impact of institutions like the Sisters of Notre Dame, whose early work in education and childcare helped shape the very communities she served.

“What people need to thrive is support—and opportunity,” she said.

Lives Changed—and Remembered

Among the most meaningful parts of her career was her work with pregnant and parenting teens. Some stories were difficult. Others were transformative.

“There were girls who came back and said, ‘You taught me how to live,’” she said. “Those are the moments you never forget.”

Her work extended beyond traditional roles—offering parenting education, home visits, and guidance for young people who built new futures under challenging circumstances.

Later in her career, McCormack transitioned into school counseling and launched a tutoring business to help students access educational opportunities.

Even in retirement, her commitment to community remains strong. She serves on a YMCA advisory board and continues to stay engaged.

Looking back, she sees a clear throughline—one rooted in service, education, and showing up for others.

“I’ve always believed you meet people where they are,” she said. “And you help them take the next step.”

When she returns to campus this May, McCormack knows what she will feel.

“Every time I see the College, it just hits me,” she said. “You’re always home there.”