Rashida Yost was born in Manassas, Virginia. As of 2022, Yost was attending Shepherd University and majoring in elementary education. Her career experience includes working as a business owner, president, entrepreneur, and childcare center director.[1][2]
Rashida Yost completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Yost's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Yost submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on April 7, 2024.
Hello, my name is Rashida Yost. I am very excited to run for Governor of West Virginia in 2024. I was born in Virginia, but grew up in Singapore. Six years ago, I moved to West Virginia. That was the most wonderful thing I have ever done in my life. This State has blessed me with a wonderful family and a great opportunity to reach out to my community. I have been running my daycare since 2019. I love all the children attending my center. I value their parents and respect their feedback. I would not do anything different. Through direct interactions with the wonderful people in Martinsburg, I hear the issues and concerns everyone has. I am ready to take my skills, courage, determination, passions about the nature of West Virginia, and well thought policies, to the next level! I may also be the very first woman governor when elected. Let us make HISTORY!
EDUCATION REFORMS - I believe in reforming our education system so that we can bring in more well paying jobs and increase home ownerships. Many adults and college students are not equipped with the skills that would best suit them. Teachers and professors are frustrated because they are not seeing the results that would help the students and young adults. Many single parents are also trapped not being able to afford daycare and go to work. College students graduating but not getting the jobs that would pay their education loans. This has to stop. I have policies that would end all these concerns and issues.
Increasing Home Ownerships and upgrading roads, highways, bridges, and buildings. When more people own their homes, they can better care for their properties, and paying a lot lesser than rents. With the extra money at hand, people can upgrade driveways, keep up with minor renovations and increase the value of their properties. Government can focus on the major highways, bridges, buildings and historical restorations. With better living conditions, neighborhood will be safer, better, and drug-free too!
Improving Medical Benefits and establishing affordable care for children and seniors. This is the most important aspect of the majority people. How can one work efficiently if proper and affordable care is not available for ones children and elders. I plan to establish more department to extend help, finance, and education resources to childcare centers and and home cares for seniors who are not able to care for themselves or who are depending care from their family members.
I am very passionate about providing help, resources, finance, tax cut, and grants, to small businesses. These are the people who are the driving force of our cities and towns. They wake up first every morning and sleep last every night so that the town and cities can run smoothly. To the childcare providers, I hear you. I will help to provide better hiring, resources, grants and funds, so that you can care for the children of the people who needs to work and put food on their table. To the restaurant owners, I hear you. I will help to ensure better hiring process, grants and funds so that purchasing top quality ingredients for your menus and upgrading dining rooms and furniture are achievable. To the store owners, retailers, auto shops and more, I hear you. I will provide better hiring opportunities, grants and funds, and produce more skilled workers so that your business will better serve the people in our communities. I HEAR YOU EVERYDAY. VOTE FOR ME AND I WILL BE THERE FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF WEST VIRGINIA! LET US BRING THIS STATE BACK TO VICTORY. YOU MATTER! YOST4GOVERNOR.ORG
My mother is my hero. She was very hardworking, and always very resourceful. She never let my sister and I do anything that would go against our conscience. I was brought up to believe that when there is a will, there is a way. She was not educated but insisted that my sister and I should finish schools. She puts us first before anyone else. I am so blessed to follow her footsteps. When I moved back to America with my two children, who were very young and depended on me at that time, I was very scared trying to start over again. I keep moving forward and doing my best at everything. From working fifteen labor hours a day for years, and living in friends' houses and motels, to running two daycare centers, married to the most wonderful man in West Virginia, a President to my own Corporation, and now running for Governor in this blessed State. The saying is true. AMERICA IS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES, BECAUSE IN GOD WE TRUST!
One must be very fair and unbiased. A good sense of humor would lower stress and be more approachable and presentable to fellow officers and the people. To be able to decide and make important decision based on integrity and not for personal gains.
I believe in making an impact to my community. I want to bring the best in people, I want people to believe in themselves like I believe in myself and to be this far. I want to be an inspiration to my community, especially the younger generations, for them not to give up in life so easily despite set backs and disappointments.
I grew up missing my father. My mother raised my sister and I in Singapore since we were very young. I was a big girl growing up. I did not have that many friends at that time. Many girls avoided me because I was overweight. The environment in schools I went to in Singapore was not very pleasant. Although I was not very attractive, I stood out in my looks and hair color. The children were not used to diversity and I was always being teased and pranked upon. When I was fourteen years old, I began paying more attention to myself. I started eating healthy food and avoided sodas. I also jogged a lot to lose weight. Believe it or not, Linda Carter who played Wonder Woman was my inspiration! I started cutting my hair short and wore bangs or fringes. Among many goals I aspired to achieve at that age, three stood up. I was determined to be a model, visit my father in the United States, and purchase a piano because I love playing classical pieces to my mother. At the age of sixteen, I was crowned second in one of the beauty pageant in Singapore. I was featured as the youngest contestant in the top local newspaper. I also signed contracts with two modelling agencies. I visited my father in Virginia six months later after not seeing him for more than twelve years. I also purchased my very first piano after turning twenty-one. Pearl River was the brand. From that moment, I realized I can dream and achieve anything if I put my mind and soul to my goals at 1000%. Now, my dreams and goals just keep getting bigger. I know when that 1000% kicks in, I can achieve it. Yes I can and definitely with God's Blessings, as always.
My first job was in a pediatrician clinic in Ottawa, Illinois. I enjoyed filing the patients' charts, confirming their appointments, and cleaning the lobby where the children played. I worked in that clinic for about six months.
I enjoy reading National Geographic Magazines. I feel very enriched and educated on issues of the world after browsing through each publication. I also enjoy reading the Forbes magazines too. I always envision my face to be on the cover one day.
I feel about people's feelings more than of myself. I am very hard on myself too. I always feel I could do better, hence I refuse to take breaks. In the process of me being tough on myself, I forget that my children and my husband also need my attention. I feel guilty pulling myself away from my work and responsibilities every time I give some attention to my family. I also love them very much and try very hard to be with them because family is everything to me. I feel I am not being fair to them. I also feel I am not giving them enough attention to make them feel needed and loved. I feel I am struggling between balancing my personal and work life. Fortunately, my great sense of humor will kick in once in a while and lessen my stress and struggle.
A governor is just like the President of the country. The Governor is the Chief Executive Officer of the State. She is responsible for the safety, health, education, economy, jobs, infrastructures, real estates, finance, budget, mental health assistances, well being of the seniors, veterans, and many more. These are issues, concerns, progress, and development of the people living in each State. Hence, the top priority is to serve the people and only the people, not major corporations or investors who would influence elections for benefits, not top politicians who have agendas that would benefit them in future votes concerning the Nation's Presidency or Senates, and definitely not because of personal gains and favors that would involve sacrificing and compromising the growth, progress, and better living conditions for the average families who are constantly struggling to live from paycheck to paycheck.
In West Virginia, we are blessed with natural resources and beautiful mountains. There are many opportunities for us to explore and upgrade our standard of living to the next level. Unfortunately, investors and big corporations are eyeing the land to conduct major development and eliminate parts of our resources so that their businesses can flourish. This effect will increase the cost of living for our locals. We are already struggling with the current economy. The wars between Ukraine and Russia is not helping at all. Funds budgeted for the people in our State is limited and assigned to somewhere else. We are still recovering from a major pandemic that took many lives and decreased our morals. The most important thing to do right now is to ensure the correct leader is elected. One of my top priorities is to focus on strengthening our economy by supporting and assisting the people to upgrade and better their skills so that they can obtain top paying jobs. More courses and classes will be available and paid for, for the majority to enroll. Once people are coming out to work again, small business owners can hire better staff, provide better service, and produce better products to the clients and customers. This will also attract out of state people to patronize our stores and restaurants, thus boosting the economy like a rocket. There are also other policies I have in line for the beautiful people of West Virginia. Please visit my website for more detailed policies that would explain my governorship further.
I believe the power of finalizing the State budget should not be borne heavily or solely on the State Auditor's Department. A Governor should overlook before approving State budgets at all times. It is also important for committees and office administrators to second the approvals so that the funds would be used wisely and efficiently.
I have not finish reading past vetoes from past Governors. However, I noticed Governor Justice did use the line-item vetoes in 2020 to decrease the amount for Teacher's Retirement Funds because the Public Retirement Board argued that the amount proposed initially was higher than the actual amount needed. My personal opinion, probably the same as the other good and honest government officers, would be to weigh the current economy and standard cost of living and compares. Also, resourcing situations and comparing surveys would definitely help if a Governor ever have to use this veto.
The relationship should be bipartisan and non biased. State Governor should be able to find common grounds with State legislatures regardless of parties or political beliefs. The people in the State always come first and before anything else.
I love the mountains, the winding roads, and definitely the restaurant owners who open for business in the morning. You cannot smell and taste pumpkin spice coffee better in anywhere else but in West Virginia. The Fall season is my favorite because Thanksgiving always looks very "Family" in West Virginia. Family is the most important thing in my life. When I die, i will be all alone resting six feet under. Hence, I want to be with my family while I am alive and well, able to communicate and hug them anytime, anywhere.
I am already seeing politicians fighting for favors and personal gains. I am seeing parties not coming together. The people in the State are not prioritized and always be placed last. Top politicians are making deals among themselves to ensure control of the State stay among themselves. Middle class and below average people not getting the help they need. Small businesses are suffering for support, reliable staff, better products and ingredients to run their businesses efficiently. Children are not getting proper education. More children are enrolled in private schools rather than public schools. Divorce rate and fostering children are rising. Drugs issues are also rising. More young children are diagnosed with special needs and learning challenges. A good percentage of them are receiving intervention or medication at a very young age. This is very heartbreaking. I see more seniors working top positions and better paying jobs rather than middle age or younger adults. These seniors are going to have to retire at some point but unable to do so because finding replacement for their positions is a challenge. Again, the right person must be elected to really overcome these challenges as the Governor of the State. I see these challenges. I want to fix them. I have policies lined up so that we, the people in West Virginia, will be equipped to face and overcome these challenges with the help from the State.
Boy - Sorry aunt May, I rushed to my room and accidentally kicked your vase. It is broken now.
Aunt May - Oh no, the vase was three hundred years old.
Boy - (Placed his hand on his chest) Oh thank goodness. I thought it was new!
Natural disasters would be one. Other circumstances to use emergency powers would be another pandemic, which I am praying so hard would not happen, violent protests that would destroy buildings, take massive innocent lives, act of terrorism, and I can think of many more but would not want to throw some ideas out there. Praying.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Yost submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 15, 2022.
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