Today we’d like to introduce you to LaDena Bolton.
LaDena, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My family has invested in our local community for over 25 years, and I am honored to continue that legacy through the Bolton Legacy scholarship and by running for State Representative for House District 86 in Georgia. Growing up in DeKalb County, I learned the value of hard work as my parents struggled to help pay for my college education. I was honored to receive a scholarship to attend Savannah State University (SSU), which became the spring that propelled me to receive a fellowship to earn my Ph.D. at Clark Atlanta University.
Shortly after graduating from SSU, my husband, Dr. Clement J. Bolton II and I returned to DeKalb County to serve our community and raise our three sons. My husband was driven to become a K-12 science educator and used his platform to encourage more underrepresented students to enter STEM career pipelines. I rode the path to community service by volunteering on the Board of Directors for several DeKalb County nonprofit organizations that sought to improve the lives of our neighbors.
I was nurtured by my family, challenged by my teachers, and supported by my community to achieve goals beyond my wildest dreams. With the establishment of some outlandish changes in Georgia policies and preservation of outdated regulations, challenges are inhibiting our families from relying on the support that I was privileged to receive. Ultimately, we are responsible for the health of our communities and are empowered to protect it. Life experiences helped me to realize that we are blessed to help families that struggled to find their place in our community as we once had. Partnering with my husband, we established the Bolton Legacy Scholarship to support students interested in restoring and sustaining underserved areas.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Born into a military family, I grew up in a very religious and structured home environment. I learned that following a checklist of ‘dos and don’ts’ for life would take me far. Known as the quiet, nerdy girl, I studied chemistry and committed to public service as Junior Class President and Miss SSU 1st Attendant, earned opportunities to travel to China and then pledged Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. One day after class, a fellow classmate asked to borrow my book and ultimately stole my heart.
My (then) boyfriend, Clement Bolton II, and I spent every free moment together eventually conceiving our first child during my senior year of college. We could not afford to live on our own, so Clement, baby Bolton and me made a home in my dorm room as best we could. As a young married couple, we struggled to survive on minimum wage until we eventually moved back to Decatur to live with a family member.
After working several low wage jobs across town, I fought to get my life back on track by enrolling in Clark Atlanta University’s graduate program, where I studied polymer nano-composites and specialized in drug delivery systems. We were beginning to rebuild professionally as I was recruited to create programs such as CAU’s Annual Nano Day and traveling to South Africa and Puerto Rico to present my research on cancer therapies.
Financially, my family was drowning; my husband was laid off multiple times, we almost lost our home and even had to live without heat or water on several occasions. In spite of how things appeared, we chose to use our hardships as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves as the family we dreamed of becoming. I got more involved with our community and created networks that eventually led to a career with the Army and the kickoff of the Bolton Legacy Scholarship.
Please tell us about Bolton Legacy.
I am honored to build a family legacy through the Bolton Legacy college scholarship and by running for State Representative for House District 86 in Georgia.
In 2014, my husband and I launched the Bolton Legacy Scholarship to support college students interested in restoring and sustaining underserved areas. As a requirement, the students have to show a track record of community involvement or serve communities under the leadership of Bolton Legacy.
During our matriculation through Savannah State University and Clark Atlanta University, we observed the need to prepare scholars for both college and career readiness. As unemployed college graduates, my husband and I saw the value in community involvement as a means to identify career opportunities for struggling families. These were some of the motivating factors that led us to support Georgia students matriculating to public and private schools, majority institutions and HBCUs, and for profit and not-for-profit institutions. Our prayer is that we may help more students annually, that will pay it forward for life.
In 2020, we decided that we could do more to support our community. Therefore, I resigned from my position as a Forensic Chemist in order to campaign to become a State Representative of House District 86, in DeKalb County. I am running because I was raised in DeKalb County and am adamant about implementing initiatives that protect our families by supporting education, justice and community reforms. Taking this path will aid Bolton Legacy in reaching more deserving students and families across the state of Georgia.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We pride ourselves on being relatable to those we wish to serve, demonstrating integrity for those we wish to influence and remaining accessible to those who are most underserved. These are qualities that are essential to the Bolton Legacy scholarship and are transferrable to my candidacy of State Representative for House District 86.
What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
My family has invested in our local community for nearly three decades and my husband and I continue to build upon that legacy with our children. When I was nine years old, my parents moved our family to DeKalb County shortly after my dad completed his military career in the Marine Corp. At that time, my parents did not have a college education, so they relied on faith, hard work, and a fresh start to support their growing family of five. Regardless of our successes, or lack thereof, we always had time to serve our community.
As a child, I did not realize that we engaged in community service on a regular basis. Feeding the hungry, building homes for the homeless, picking up trash off the roadways and staffing free community events was no different than attending school Monday through Friday. I understood it to be a necessary part of life. However, one particular event weighed heavily on my heart as a teenager. Working with Helping Hands of Atlanta, my family and I woke early on a Saturday morning to help revitalize a metro Atlanta elementary school. As we painted one wall after another, I browsed the artwork and assignments on adjacent walls and hanging out of lockers. Seeing pictures of the round-faced students and the images that represented their hard work revealed that we were doing more than restoring a building. We were restoring a community’s future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BoltonForDeKalb.com
- Phone: 4045093167
- Email: JoinUs@BoltonForDeKalb.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolton_for_dekalb/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LaDenaBolton/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ladenabolton
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