As a child growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Dexter found refuge in school and in her community as her family struggled financially and her grandmother battled diabetes. While in fifth grade, Dr. Dexter’s teacher explained she could go to college and be anything she wanted – an idea that was foreign to Dr. Dexter since no one in her family had ever attended college. At that moment, Dr. Dexter dedicated herself to becoming a doctor and helping people like her grandmother.
As part of making her dream a reality, Dr. Dexter got a union job at 16-years-old working at Albertsons. As an UFCW member, her wages, health care benefits, and job security laid the foundation for Dr. Dexter to be able to support herself and, with the help of student loans, finish high school, graduate from college, and go on to medical school at the University of Washington.
Dr. Dexter and her husband, who is also a physician, have two teenage children. When they were young, Dr. Dexter volunteered as a parent organizer and advocate in the Portland public school system. Today, Dr. Dexter works at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, OR and serves in the Oregon House of Representatives.