As a child, Patricia Smith lived in Germany and moved with her family back and forth between military bases across Germany and the southeastern United States. Her travels to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, along with the years she attended Department of Defense schools, formed the backdrop of her childhood. After settling in Tampa, Florida, Ms. Smith earned degrees in English education and instructional leadership. Ms. Smith has taught English and creative writing at the middle grades and high school level for thirty years. She is a fellow of the Tampa Bay Area Writing Project and in 2000 earned Hillsborough County's Jean Stallings English teacher award. She counts helping her students to grow as one of her greatest pleasures; her pursuits outside the classroom include church work and animal rescue.
