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Pat Schroeder
Pat Schroeder
01:12

Pat Schroeder

Association of American Publishers

Washington, DC USA

"If you think you want to try it, and you can try it, why not try it?"

Career Roadmap

Pat's work combines: Government, Politics, and Accomplishing Goals

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Day In The Life

Former Congresswoman/CEO

I served as congresswoman in the House of Representatives for 24 years and advocated on work-family and women's issues.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    History, General

    University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

  • Graduate Degree

    Law

    Harvard University

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    She was one of fifteen women in her Harvard graduating class of more than five hundred.

  • 2.

    She used to look around at her peers-who were all obsessed with planning their future careers-and worry that she was a "lagger."

  • 3.

    Her husband was part of a committee trying to find a representative to replace Richard Nixon when he ran for president.

  • 4.

    He told her, "you probably won't win, but you can talk about the issues"; she had a brief time to decide, but she chose to seize the opportunity.

  • 5.

    Ended up winning the spot and became the first female elected to Congress from Colorado.

  • 6.

    Countless reporters asked her, "How can you be Congresswoman and a mother?" so she replied, "I got a brain, I got a uterus, and they both work."

  • 7.

    She ended up holding her seat for 24 years, and even took a few stabs at running for president, before moving into publishing.

  • 8.

    Worries that current generations are too concerned with security to try bold new things, so she urges road-trippers to try everything.