Patti Pavolko is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired special education teacher. She has been married to her best friend and hero, Dennis, for thirty-nine years. They have two children, Paul and Leslie; and three grandchildren—Wesson, Kinley, and Haylen.

She attended Edinboro State College from 1978–1982 where she pursued a double major. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education. She taught seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade learning support at Conneaut Lake High School for one year. She then spent thirty-two years teaching learning support at Springfield Elementary School. She retired in 2015 and is now a stay-at-home grandmother. She enjoys riding her four-wheeler, picking blackberries, quilting, and playing with her grandchildren.