Senator Alex Padilla
U.S. Senator (California)
Senator Alex Padilla is the first Latino elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate. The son of immigrants, Padilla grew up in the San Fernando Valley and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was drawn to politics in response toCalifornia’s anti-immigrant Proposition 187. Padilla was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 and the State Senate in 2006. As California’s Secretary of State, he oversaw a historic expansion of voting rights and voter participation. As United States Senator, Padilla has taken action to cut costs for families, combat the climate crisis, and help Californians secure millions of dollars owed to them by federal agencies. Padilla currently serves as Chairman of the SenateJudiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety. He is a member of theSenate Committees on Budget; Environment and Public Works; Energy and Natural Resources;Judiciary; and Rules. Padilla lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife, Angela, and their three sons, Roman, Alex and Diego.
America’s Field Trip Awardees!
Thousands of students from across the country submitted inspiring entries, responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” for the first-ever America’s Field Trip contest. A panel of current and former educators selected 150 students as awardees, hailing from 44 states and territories.