Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 79

Pat Washington grew up poor in southeastern Virginia. Her grandmother, a domestic worker who could not read or write raised Pat.

Pat's third and fourth grade teachers, Ms. Newsome and Ms. Glover, took an interest in Pat while she was in the third grade. At that time, it became clear she was severely near-sighted. Ms. Newsome and Ms. Glover made sure Pat got her first pair of eyeglasses + and looked after her into high school because they saw something in her that was worth their effort.

Pat became a single mother in the 10th grade. She would have become another drop out if not for the persistence of the two teachers who had followed her since the third grade. They worked with Pat and her grandmother, helping them through Pat's pregnancy, ensuring she remained in school, and providing her a solid educational foundation.

Ms. Newsome and Ms. Glover wouldn't allow Pat to stay poor and dependent, like other 15 year-old single mothers in her hometown. Their assistance and persistence allowed Pat to graduate high school + the first in her family to do so. She was accepted by a nearby college and graduated + another family first. Pat didn't stop there. She went on to receive a master's degree and a Ph.D., becoming an educator herself.

Pat Washington works every day to emulate her teachers and works to ensure everyone has the same opportunities she had.

No matter how far she goes in life, Pat will always be a child of poverty.

That's one of the reasons she empathizes with those who are less fortunate or who face adversity + and works as hard as she can to improve their lives.