Erin Brockovich was born with the name Erin Pattee. She was born on June 22, 1960, in Lawrence, Kansas. The name “Brockovich” is taken from the last name of her ex-husband, but this blond woman is better known by this name. Erin Brockovich is an advocate and environmental activist who inspires many people around the world.
The youngest child of the Betty Jo and the industrial engineering graduate (as well as the footballer) Frank Pattee started her life quite difficult. At an early age, doctors diagnose Erin has dyslexia. The disorder makes it difficult to absorb the lessons so that she does not fall into the category of excellent students.
With the difficulty, many people who underestimate Erin and judge that she can not do many things. However, Erin who grew older then managed to prove to the world that she was able to do many useful things and become more confident.
Erin was educated not in the environmental field. After graduating from Lawrence High School, she continued her studies at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated with an Associate in Applied Arts degree in 1980 from Wade College in Dallas, Texas.
Her educational path is totally unrelated to her current profession, which always deals with environmental and legal issues. Erin even won the Miss Pacific Coast beauty contest, but she realized that the beauty contest is not her passion.
Erin’s early incarnation as an environmental activist when she worked as an archivist at a law firm of her acquaintance, lawyer Edward L. Masry (abbreviated as Ed). She knew the lawyer when she was involved in a severe accident that required her to have surgery on her neck. The accident happened after Erin was divorced from her second husband, Steve Brockovich.
Previously Erin was married to Shawn Brown in April 1982. From the marriage, Erin and Shawn have two children, Matthew and Katie. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last long. They divorced in 1987 and Erin married again in 1989 with Steve Brockovich. A year later Erin divorced Steve, just as she was pregnant with her third child, Elizabeth.
In the case of Erin’s accident, she used Ed’s attorney’s services and they managed to win the lawsuit. However, the settlement money earned is not much so it can not meet the needs of Erin’s family when she was a single mom. Finally, Ed gives a job at her firm because he can not bear to see Erin’s condition.
One day, while collecting documents for a real estate case involving Pacific Gas & Electric (PG & E) giant company, Erin realized there was an irregularity in the case. She also asked permission to Ed to investigate further though she does not have a science background.
From the results of her investigation, Erin found the fact that the company has caused a source of drinking water in the city of Hinkley, California, polluted by chemicals used by the company. After three years of struggle (1993-1996), Erin and Ed Masry’s firm eventually won a lawsuit and secured a $ 333 million settlement fund, the largest in the US throughout the history of such cases.
From then on, Erin became interested in environmental cases. In collaboration with Ed, Erin participated in other anti-pollution claims. Until now she was still struggling with pollution reports and medical device problems that are suspected of affecting the health of many people. She won many of that cases.
Erin and her life story were later promoted to a film that aired in 2000. The film with its own title, Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts as the main character. The film was a success by earning more than $ 250 million US dollars and received many awards.
Erin’s life story makes her known as an important figure who struggles for environmental issues. Her persistence in fighting needs to be thumbs up. What Erin has gone through can be very inspiring to many people, especially the younger generation.
The message to the community is that by doing something that is most liked, then change can be created. She hopes that people can be more sensitive to environmental issues that surround them and contribute to their helping hand as the world needs more than one figure like Erin Brockovich.