Hilda L. Solis grows up in California, the daughter of, blue collar immigrants from Mexico and Nicaragua. She is the first person in her family to attend college, choosing to study political science and public administration. She briefly serves in the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs during the Carter Administration, successfully runs for the California State Assembly, State Senate and, finally, the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in public office, Solis focuses on labor, immigration, domestic violence and the environment; she is a 2000 recipient of the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. As secretary of labor, Solis invests heavily in on-the-job training, helping transitioning veterans, green jobs, protecting the working class and worker safety.