Anne Holton Brings College Tour to Alexandria

Former Virginia First Lady Anne Holton toured science classrooms, visited a math lab and reviewed designs for a new arts building while speaking with students and faculty Friday afternoon at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

Holton, whose husband, former Gov. Tim Kaine, is a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, has spent the past month touring community colleges and other institutions of higher learning for the past month. Holton told Patch she was impressed with what she saw during Friday’s visit.

“We’ve just been visiting all across the state looking at some of our great community colleges and higher ed facilities,” she said. “And they’re just part an important part of the economy, and my husband’s a big fan of the community colleges and colleges in particular. He helped get this higher ed bond passed that has helped to renovate a lot of these facilities, including some upcoming work they’ve got planned here.

“So really, what we think Tim has to offer in the current environment is to help bring people together to focus on problem-solving and building the economy for the 21st century, and that’s what these guys are doing here, building the education part of the workforce. It’s very impressive.”

In particular, Hoton has focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum, which she says community colleges are increasingly promoting.

Chad Knights, associate professor of biology and assistant division dean of biology, met with Holton Friday.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to speak with her and give her a tour of the facilities and show her sort of the type of students that we’re generating, hopefully for the needs of the community as well as into our local four-year programs,” Knights said.

Holton also visited the classroom of Gerald Stokes, a biology professor.

“I am glad, more than glad that the governor’s wife is interested in the education of community college students,” Stokes said. “I myself went to a community college before graduating and going to the University of Chicago and the University of Colorado to do my post-doctorate. It shows a willingness to keep abreast to the development and change. Most of these kids want to go into the health sciences or dental sciences.

Some of them actually will go full-fledged and become doctors or nurses with PhDs. And the laboratory is a good time for them to pique their curiosity. So I think we have a lot of potential here.”

View a photo gallery of Holton's visit here.