Michelle Paige Paterson: First-class first lady

By YVONNE DELANEY MITCHELL
Special to the AmNews

Michelle Paige Paterson, first lady of the State of New York, is a woman who is more than the eye can behold. Charming and gracious, she is also articulate, focused, warm and open as she shared stories of her youth and passion for health and physical fitness.

Taking time out of her busy schedule to meet with the Amsterdam News, she admits, “I believe I am the first first lady of the state who has held a full-time job while also attending to its duties and social obligations.” Growing up in a rural section of Staten Island surrounded by ponds and wild fields, and spending summers in Georgia on the family farm, the first lady’s formative years were spent getting in touch with nature and all of its beauty, which is reflected in her style and manner. While she didn’t know it at the time, she admits, this was preparing her for her life’s destiny on this planet, which is “helping people develop healthy lifestyles.”

Her working career began jumping from one field to the next, from publishing and advertising, to an administrative assistant in investment banking, to decorating. “You name it, I did it,” she states. It wasn’t until after having her son, Alex, and him turning 3 years old that she decided to go back to school for a master’s in health policy and management.

“I am a very spiritual person,” Michelle proclaims, “so I had to ask God what was best for me because what I was choosing wasn’t working.”

Well, that finally worked for her, as upon graduating she obtained a job with North General Hospital working on Integrated Wellness. There she learned that “healing is not only physical but much more, you also need to incorporate the body and the mind.” As first lady, she.........
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