Sen. Dodd: A. Marie Young is Solano County Woman of the Year

VALLEJO – A. Marie Young, a longtime Solano Community College board member and mathematics professor who broke barriers in the 1970s as the first African American woman to teach an academic course full-time at the college, has been selected Solano County Woman of the Year by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa.

“Marie has given the gift of education to generations of Solano County students while being a pioneer for women and people of color,” Sen. Dodd said. “Through her distinguished career, both as a teacher and board member, she’s made a positive impact on her community. She’s an absolute treasure, and I’m very happy to recognize her for her achievement.”

“I am deeply honored to receive this distinguished recognition from Sen. Dodd,” A. Marie Young said. “It is a testament to my longstanding commitment of volunteering through the years to support organizations serving communities at the local, regional, state and national levels. I am grateful for the opportunity to provide leadership, to collaborate and achieve a shared mission to uplift communities in need.”

Annie Marie Young was born in the Jim Crow south and grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia. From a young age, she went by her middle name because she preferred it over Annie. She got her degree at the historically Black Virginia State College, now Virginia State University, where she graduated cum laude, and is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She earned a master’s degree in mathematics at Rutgers University.

Marie moved to Vallejo in 1969 and became the first Black teacher at Springstowne Junior High School in Vallejo. The next year, she was hired to be the first woman of any race to teach mathematics full-time at Solano Community College, where she taught for 35 years before retiring in 2005. She was instrumental in setting up a successful mathematics laboratory for all students enrolled in remedial mathematics and served many other roles including advisor to the African American Student Union and faculty Senate representative.

In 2006, Marie was elected to the Solano Community College board for a four-year term. She was re-elected four times, serving as president of the board in 2008 and 2019.  Her current term ends in 2026.

Marie has a stellar educational resume with numerous awards, memberships and experiences that exemplify her commitment and love for academic pursuits and volunteerism.  Among them are membership in the Kappa Mu Epsilon national honor society in mathematics and Kappa Delta Pi honor society in education. She was listed among the Who’s Who of Students in American Universities and Colleges, and recipient of a full grant by the National Science Foundation for graduate work in mathematics.

Locally, not limited to the following organizations, she is a charter member of Kappa Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., greater Vallejo Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., the Solano County Chapter of The Links Inc., and the Vallejo Education and Business Alliance.

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.