Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn), a career educator, was sworn into office on Monday and will put her considerable experience to use in her role as vice chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.

“We want Washington students to succeed and thrive in our education system, but the truth is not all students enjoy equitable access to the opportunities available in our schools,” Wilson said in a press release. “Many students face societal or systemic obstacles unique to their households, communities or other personal circumstances; it’s our job to make sure they can navigate those obstacles and fulfill their potential along with their peers.”

For 25 years at the Puget Sound Educational Services District, Wilson specialized in early education and family involvement. Prior to that, she taught pregnant and parenting teens at Mt. Tahoma High School and was a senior grants and contracts manager for the city of Seattle’s teen parent programs. She currently serves on the Federal Way School Board, which oversees the most diverse student population in the country and the fifth most diverse in the nation.

“Too many people in our communities feel excluded or unwelcome when it comes to opportunities and programs readily available to others,” Wilson said. “As a state and as a society, we need to take the extra effort to make sure our public services are accessible by everyone who needs them.”

Wilson will also serve on the Senate Transportation Committee and the Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee. A long-term resident of the 30th Legislative District, born and raised in Washington state, Wilson has lived in South King County since 1999. She proudly identifies as a lesbian woman and mother and is a graduate of Roosevelt High and Washington State University and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado.