Maria Cantwell currently serves as a United States Senator for the State of Washington. As a respected leader – both in public service and in the private sector – Maria has always embraced the values she first learned growing up in a strong working-class family. With the help of Pell Grants, Maria was the first member of her family to graduate college. Later, a successful businesswoman in Washington's hi-tech industry, she helped build a company that created hundreds of high-paying jobs from the ground up.
Washington’s skilled aerospace, science and technology workers are central to the state’s economy. Washington ranks among the top ten states in the nation for high-tech jobs, and Seattle is the fifth most innovative city in the nation, according to Forbes magazine. Maria has consistently supported boosting higher education to prepare the next generation of high-tech workers for careers in science, technology, math, aerospace, and engineering.