Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patick, 50, grew up on the south side of Chicago sharing a single-bedroom home with his sister and mother. After his middle school teachers recognized his impressive academic potential, they recommended Patrick for a Boston-based scholarship, "A Better Chance," which brought him to Massachusetts and awarded him with a full academic scholarship to Milton Academy. Today, Patrick resides in Milton not far from his high school with his wife, Diane, and two daughters.

When Deval Patrick graduated from Harvard University with honors in 1978, he became the first in his family to receive any type of education beyond high school. After graduating, Patrick traveled to Africa, where he worked for a United Nations youth training program in Darfur. Patrick returned to Massachusetts to attend Harvard Law School, where he again excelled and was named best oral advocate in his class and president of the Legal Aid Bureau.

In 1983 Patrick began working for the NAACP Legal Defense fund, where he met then-Gov. Bill Clinton. Clinton and Patrick worked together to settle an Arkansas voting rights case against Clinton, during which they developed a longstanding friendship that continues today.

In 1986 Patrick joined the Boston law firm Hill & Barlow, where he became a partner in 1990. President Clinton appointed Patrick assistant attorney general for civil rights in 1994. Patrick's work as Texaco's first chairman of their Equality and Fairness Task Force impressed the company so much that he was hired in 1999 as vice president and general counsel in charge of global legal affairs. Patrick resigned from his post as the executive vice president and general counsel for the Coca-Cola Company in 2005 after serving for almost six years.

Patrick is also the recipient of seven honorary degrees.

On The Issues:

Education: Believes in educating the "whole child" and wants to improve early education opportunities even before kindergarten. Supports extending the school day, reducing class sizes, and two-year education budgeting cycles to allow for better planning by administrators.

Healthcare: Wants the state to be a model for public health stewardship by emphasizing disease prevention and wellness programs. Will help establish a partnership between private interests and public schools to improve the health of children. Believes the state has the resources to make healthcare more comprehensive and affordable.

Environment: Wants to replace the state's vehicle fleet with hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicles, make public transportation as clean as technology allows, and evaluate all state facilities for environmental efficiency.

Economy/Taxes:Wants to sign into law the pending legislative proposal to stimulate the economy, cut energy costs and develop renewable energy, reduce the number of working poor and develop more multi-family housing sites.

Crime: Wants to make streets safer through community policing.

Homeland Security: Wants to take a leadership role in coordinating local, state, and federal efforts to confront terrorism threats.