Southgate Elementary's Pat Soderberg Named Educator of the Month

Southgate Elementary’s Pat Soderberg, May’s Lakewood Rotary Educator of the Month, hated attending kindergarten. Interestingly, her negative experience helped determine her career path. Soderberg believes every child should feel safe and enjoy learning and students in her second grade class certainly experience this. Soderberg has taught in the district for 37 years and asks to teach the most challenging students. She said it really forces a teacher to try different techniques to reach each student. “After your hard work pays off and you see a student succeed, it really fills your heart.” Soderberg said the team at Southgate works really well together and is on the same page with the students. Soderberg said. Southgate’s principal Charlotte Clouse lets the educators try different ways to reach the students so they can succeed. Clouse said Soderberg believes all her students can learn. “Pat’s confidence in her students’ ability to learn motivates them to reach beyond their goals. Her students are successful because of her belief in them.” Soderberg was born in Spokane and raised in Seattle and Bellevue. She received her degree in English from Pacific Lutheran University and her certification from the University of Puget Sound. She was honored at the May 17 meeting of the Lakewood Rotary.