Senator Cynthia Nava, recipient of the State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award, was born and educated in Illinois but has made New Mexico her home since college.  During her 18-year tenure in the New Mexico State Senate, she has advocated for and sponsored numerous legislative initiatives that have encouraged and expanded service-learning opportunities for students.  Among  these efforts are the establishment of regional service-learning centers, various appropriations, and the creation of the Next Generation Fund.  Currently, she also serves as superintendent of the Gadsden Independent School District, the fourth largest in the state, where she has worked for the past 30 years.  On a national level, she served as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board from 2004 until 2008.  In recent years, she has received the national Ancor Foundation Community Builder Award and the Albuquerque Journal Sage Award, "Twenty Years... Twenty Women Making a Difference."  Cynthia considers herself a lifelong learner.  She is completing her dissertation work at New Mexico State University and is learning to play the piano.

"Gracias and thank you for this unique honor and award.  Teaching and learning have been both my career and avocation for my whole life.  I have always believed that the best way to "teach" is to be an aggressive listener and learner.  This wonderful award is a reminder to always remember there is still so much to be done.  I humbly accept this award knowing the students that I have met and known are the true measurements of successes of the past and the future," Senator Cynthia Nava.

The State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award recognizes a non-traditional advocate of service-learning by acknowledging the valuable role played by a business or community leader who has partnered with youth to advance the cause of service-learning.

The State Farm Companies Foundation is pleased to join the National Service-Learning Partnership and the International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education to honor teacher education programs that make a significant commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning in preparing teachers and schools leaders to use service-learning as an instructional strategy with the State Farm Award for Service-Learning Excellence in Teacher Education.