Born To Teach Teach Teach

PAT LOWTHIAN HAS SPENT DECADES IMPACTING THE LIVES OF OTHERS THROUGH EDUCATION

written by JULIE LOVELL photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

PAT LOWTHIAN was born to teach. The oldest of five, she cared for her younger siblings when she was just a girl. Later, she earned an elementary education degree and taught school for more than 40 years in Billings. Now, even after retiring from Billings Public Schools, she’s still at it. While she loves all children, Pat has always been passionate about the ones who can fall through the cracks.

“I’ve always loved kids on the fringe,” Pat says. ”I’ve taught so many different kinds of kids. Kids with autism, kids with ADD, kids with depression, kids with anxiety, kids who live with trauma, kid who don’t have their basic needs met.”

During her last several years teaching in public schools, Pat saw a growing number of children at risk facing all sorts of challenges.

“Food insecurity, gun violence and all of the different things that move people into areas of anxiety and depression,” says Pat. “Those are more common now.”

Pat’s passion for helping children who face tough circumstances stretches back to her childhood in Southern California, when she witnessed the difficult lives of migrant families who worked in the fields.

“I watched all those families working in the fields,” says Pat. “I used to say to my dad, ‘They don’t even have water, they don’t even have a bathroom out there. What is going on?’ So I’ve always just had this heart for the people living on the fringes.”