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Judith Pappas Zaffirini (born February 13, 1946) is a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from the 21st District, which includes her home city of Laredo in south Texas. On January 9, 2007, Zaffirini became the second in seniority in the 31-member Texas Senate, of which she has been a member since 1987.〔 〕 Zaffirini has been named among the "Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States" by ''Hispanic Business'' magazine, which has been published in California since 1979.〔Odie Arambula, "Magazine names Zaffirini influential", ''Laredo Morning Times'', October 13, 2008, p. 4A〕 Zaffirini is the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas Senate.〔Vaughn, Reese. "(Women around Texas share their words of wisdom )." ''The Victoria Advocate''. August 30, 2002. 10E. Retrieved on February 4, 2012.〕 ==Background== Zaffirini is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. While she and her attorney-husband, Carlos M. Zaffirini, Sr. (born 1943), were attending UT, they worked in the late 1960s on the staff of District 21 State Senator Wayne Connally, brother of Governor John B. Connally, Jr. During this time, serious attention was focused on establishing a university in Laredo. Soon the satellite campus of Texas A&M University - Kingsville, then known as Texas A&I, opened in Laredo. In 1970, Laredo State University was launched with Billy F. Cowart as the president, and in 1993, Senator Zaffirini secured legislation creating the four-year Texas A&M International University on a separate campus off the Bob Bullock Loop. Zaffirini's work in the education field led to her being named "Laredoan of the year" in 2009 by the ''Laredo Morning Times''.〔Jason Buch, "Laredoan of the year: Zaffirini recognized as education champion", ''Laredo Morning Times'', January 1, 2009, p. 1〕 Zaffirini studied two summers at Laredo Community College (then Laredo Junior College). On December 17, 2007, she was honored by the LCC board of trustees with its inaugural "Beacon Award", a creation from the college's sixtieth anniversary. According to LCC president Juan L. Maldonado, the award recognizes individuals whose altruistic efforts have improved and advanced the welfare of the Webb County community. Maldonado said that the beacon "evokes the flame of the lamp of learning, which represents the role of the individual in bringing enlightenment and hope to others.... Senator Zaffirini embodies all of these admirable traits... and make her the ideal recipient of this award." In 2004, LCC named its new south campus library in honor of Zaffirini. She is also honored through the Zaffirini Elementary School, 5210 Santa Claudia Lane in Laredo, one of the campuses of the United Independent School District. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Judith Zaffirini」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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