Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman who has been the mayor of San Fransisco, the lieutenant governor of California, and the governor of California. He is poised, personable, well put together, and comes across as intelligent — but it wasn’t always that way.
Gavin Newsom has chosen not to reveal his SAT score and says “you don’t even want to know what I got on my SATs.” Despite his unimpressive academic stats, Gavin was able to score himself a partial baseball scholarship to Santa Clarita University.
Today’s article will focus on Gavin Newsom’s early days and education, as well as what he has to say about his SAT score, and how he contributes to education today. You’re about to learn a whole lot about “The Gavinator”, so settle in and get comfortable.
Gavin Newsom’s Early Days
On 10 October 1967, Tessa Thomas and William Alfred Newsom III welcomed little Gavin Christopher Newsom to the world. He was born and raised in San Francisco with a younger sister named Hilary and a pet otter named Potter.
Gavin did not have it easy as a child and he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was just five years old, which hindered his education throughout his life. He attended the French American bilingual school Ecole Notre Dame Des Victoires from kindergarten through to fifth grade before transferring due to his dyslexia.
Tessa worked three jobs to support the family and by the time Gavin went to secondary school at Redwood High School — the same school Robin Williams went to — he was working several jobs to help his mother.
While in high school, Gavin’s learning disability became even more pronounced and he threw himself into athletics. Speaking of his high school experience, Gavin says “The grades were bad, my self-esteem started to collapse, and I remember faking being sick all the time to avoid math class, which I just couldn’t handle.”
He goes on to say “I took the SAT and it was a complete disaster, and they didn’t even argue for me to take it again, because it was just beyond stressful.”
Gavin Newsom’s SAT Score
Gavin was intensely focused on baseball in his school-going years and he was not academically-inclined at all. He went on to receive a partial baseball scholarship to Santa Clarita University and despite his academic challenges, Gavin graduated in the year 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science.
When speaking on his education, he told The Athletic “ I would love to lie and say, “I was a Rhodes scholar, and, you know, got 18000 on my SATs.” You don’t even want to know what I got on my SATs.”
When pushed on what his SAT scores were he said “Oh no, trust me. It’s distressing. I would not have gotten into Santa Clarita University had it not been for a baseball scholarship. There was no way to do that academically. I was going to go to a junior college.”
Gavin Newsom on Education
Gavin feels strongly about education and takes his official duties in this area very seriously. Unlike other politicians who seemingly only focus on sports and science, Gavin is also a vocal champion for the arts.
He has voiced his opinion on the topic many times, once saying “An arts education helps build academic skills and increase academic performance, while also providing alternative opportunities to reward the skills of children who learn differently.” He was also quoted saying “The value of an arts education is widely accepted, especially in California.”
In his capacity as governor, Gavin has a big goal of improving education. It would appear as though he has an agenda for every age and stage.
In the early childhood development arena, Gavin is primarily championing improving access to early education, and expanding full-day kindergarten and preschool facilities. In the higher education arena, his plans lie in graduating more students, improving college affordability, reducing textbook costs, and providing access to campus food pantries.
Gavin also cares about the parents of the children who he aims to support. He has one agenda, called the Parent’s Agenda, which focuses on providing support to parents and caregivers.