Mr. Patterson

About

(The picture above was taken during the senior picnic day at MVGS. I am on the right and Mrs. Bement is on the left. I was suffering from bell palsy at that point in time.)

Family Background/History

I grew up in NW Ohio, just outside of Bowling Green and Findlay. I grew up in the Great Black Swamp, which today is pretty much woods and farm land.

My ancestor, Thomas Patterson, was the first of our family to move to Ohio. He moved from New Hampshire as Ohio was in the process of becoming a state in 1803. His son, Samuel Patterson, lived just outside of Columbus, Ohio since the 1820s. His property served an important role in the development of the African community in Ohio which served as a safe location to house people escaping through the Underground Railroad. Samuel also had two sons that served during the Civil War to protect Washington D.C. from the Confederacy, and Ohio during Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's Raid.

My parents were full-time, blue collar workers with the Jeep Plant in Toledo, and Wal-Mart #1913 in Bowling Green. My parents both believed in hard work and living a simple life. I was one of the first in my family with the opportunity to attend college, I guess my two older siblings were the first to attend college. My parents are proud of the fact that all three of their children graduated from college. My parents, specifically my father, valued education, but it was common sense and the content of one's character that they were focused on.

Quotes

"If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree." – Michael Crichton

"One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present." - Golda Meir

Education and Career Path

I graduated from Elmwood High School in 2000 as an average student. I attended Owens Community College where I earned an Associate's Degree in Business, and started to develop self-confidence in my academic abilities. I was an Assistant Manager with Wal-Mart for a year, which was not a very positive experience. I decided to continue my education to become an educator at The Ohio State University. I graduated with a BA in History and Geography in 2007, and earned a M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning in 2008. During this time, I worked at Westerville North High School during the 2007-08 school year. Since my wife is active duty at Joint Base Andrews, I taught at Southwest Academy in Baltimore during the 2008-09 school year. From June 2009 to February 2011, I worked as a Retail Sales Representative for The Hershey Company. With the birth of my second daughter, I decided to be a stay at home dad during the baby/toddler years. By 2013, I knew that I wanted to get back into teaching, and was able to be hired as a long-term sub in FCPS1. In 2014, I was hired to teach AP/DE US Government at Liberty High School. During my time at LHS, I taught pretty much all social studies courses, coached football for a season, and was the Social Studies Department Chair from 2018-2021. In August 2021, I graduated from American Military University with a MA in Political Science. I am looking forward to another year at MVGS, and being the Lead Teacher on the Warrenton Campus.

Hobbies

I love to read historical text and historical fictions. I enjoy doing anything that involves being with my kids from school activities and sports to watching Disney+. I prefer to be outdoors hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping. Being a military family, my wife and I have traveled to 42 of the 50 states. I like sightseeing, but I prefer visiting National Parks. My favorite season is the fall aka my birthday and wedding anniversary. My passion is college football. Yes, I am a Buckeye, but I truly enjoy watching all FBS football teams.

My Family

My wife and I are high school sweethearts. We met in March of 1998 and never looked back. We will be married for 22 years this fall. We have two daughters, Maddie (15) and Izzy (13), that are the center of our lives. All of our extended family still live in NW and central Ohio. We hope that when my wife's military career comes to an end, to move back to Ohio to be with our family and friends. The current plan, via my wife's career path, has our family living in NoVA through the 2029-30 school year. I do not know if we will move back to Ohio right away, as I am considering testing the political thicket in 2030. I have not yet determined an office to run for. Time will determine that.

Pictures

I enjoy dressing up for the seasons and school spirit days throughout the school year (two pictures on the left).

My family is the best part of my life (picture on the right).