Pat Olsen

Pat grew up in rural Connecticut with two brother and two sisters, unaware until her first paycheck that women and men were not, at that time, considered equals. Her first trip abroad was a month long study tour in Mexico at age 16 paid for with her babysitting money. She spent her college junior year in Germany traveling extensively throughout Europe and behind the Iron Curtain.

Her husband joined the Foreign Service when their three children were preschoolers and they began 26 years of overseas adventures as a U.S. diplomatic family. After home-schooling in the Pacific and being active with private and public schools, Pat earned her teaching credentials and taught in international elementary and middle schools and was a middle school principal.

Pat connected with Margret while running the Model United Nations program at the American International school in Israel. The Olsens lived in Israel for two tours, and her husband Norm traveled frequently to Gaza.

Inspired by Margret, Pat brought her sisters and her mother on two housebuilding trips to Cambodia where they shared their sewing expertise with the seamstresses and designers at Tabitha, in addition to knowing how to wield construction hammers.

Pat has joined forPeace in order to support its efforts on behalf of Cambodians, Palestinians, and creating young scientists through GAIA.

Pat and her husband live in Maine, with a large collection of boats.