Nava is one of six female legislators across the country nominated for the , making her the first woman in New Mexico to be up for the honor.
Nava won her Senate seat last November, against Republican Audrey Trujillo, making her one of the first former DACA recipients to win elected office.
She鈥檚 one of the youngest lawmakers in the Roundhouse and said people have questioned her experience, but that has been a driving force in her political career.
"So when people have told me that I can鈥檛 do it, I double down and that鈥檚 what I tell young women. Folks are going to tell you that you can鈥檛 do it for A, B, C, and D reasons and your biggest weapon is your actions," said Nava.
She said that with the current uncertainty around women鈥檚 rights in the political climate, this award represents the need to elevate voices, especially women of color.
The winners will be announced in early April.
As Nava embarked on her first legislative session in the role of a lawmaker she said she priortized the voices of young people to not only introduce them to the lawmaking process but also hear their perspectives on legislation.
SENATOR CINDY NAVA: The process is not new to me. I knew the process. I've been an analyst, I've been the person behind the scenes as a student, as an advocate, but now I got to be the person with the microphone, which was more than ironic, very surreal, but very powerful to me, being able to bring other young people to the table. I made it a point to ensure that I had shadows and interns all the time.
So, I had countless students with me every day almost, ensuring that they felt welcomed and that they felt that they had a seat at the table, and that they knew that, they not only felt, but that they knew, that they absolutely have a right to be there. It was very powerful to see them understand that they too have a voice in that space and that they too have a vote. So, I made a whole lot of allies and friends from our universities and a few high school students that are now really excited to come back, and I think it makes a difference.
91暗网: You also got to collaborate with many lawmakers this session within your party but also across the aisle. But I鈥檒l start with Senate Bill 163 or tribal regalia at a school events bill that was signed by the Governor. Can you talk more about why this bill was important to you?
NAVA: I was very proud to co-sponsor that with Sen. Angel Charlie and Rep.[Pauline]Abeyta, because I as an immigrant, understand in the same way that they do, as my tribal brothers and sisters, that culture is the foundation of who we are, and if we're not uplifting that and teaching our young people that it is their power and it is their right and that their language and their cultural values are welcomed and are respected, then you suppress them. And I know that far too well as someone who used to be undocumented because I was so scared of being sought out, of being marginalized.
91暗网: Another bill that you got through this session was Senate Bill 480. I know in the past when we鈥檝e talked during your campaign, education is important to you. Can you tell me briefly about how this bill helps young people get the opportunity to receive an education that benefits them?
NAVA: That came out of discussions with educators about student graduation reporting for students who have not graduated within four years in high school and who drop out and are not sort of re-engaged with the system and those students and that data is not precisely collected.
So, my bill essentially says and requires that PED (Public Education Department) create a list, a directory list, of folks who have dropped out or disengaged or not enrolled any longer, so that only New Mexico institutions can outreach, either for higher education institution, or a CTE program, a GED program, for the purposes of re-engaging these young people up to the age of 21. And we got it through. So, we are hopeful that the governor will sign it.
91暗网: You also got Senate Bill 364 to the Governor鈥檚 desk that expands the pool of applicants for our state鈥檚 police forces. Can you tell me why you sponsored this bill?
NAVA: It was very aspirational. It was something that I did not expect that I was going to be able to get through, much less my first session.
Essentially, a conversation that had happened several years ago with my brother about having the ability to become a police officer when you're a non-citizen. My brother did ROTC in high school, ROTC in college. Always wanted to serve in the military or serve in the police force, but he couldn't because he's not a citizen and he has DACA, but that didn't qualify him to do that.
So given our rising crime in New Mexico, we know that we have a deficit of police officers. When you talk to rural mayors across the state, they face a whole lot of challenges in keeping folks there. So, I made it a bipartisan effort, Sen. Craig Brant being my lead co-sponsor. And this essentially just opens qualifications to be a police officer to folks with legal work authorization, which means DACA recipients, legal permanent residents, and they will still go through the same exact vetting process. And all it does, it just expands the pool of applicants to those folks.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
