Sen. Christine Rolfes was awarded the Washington State Parent Teacher Association’s highest honor at the organization’s annual conference in Vancouver earlier this month.

Rolfes, Bainbridge Island Democrat and 23rd District lawmaker, was the recipient of the 2018 Friend of Children Award, which recognizes an individual or organization for state-level dedication “to all children” in Washington State by supporting the whole child through advocacy, education, family and community engagement, health and well-being, and safety.

“This award is extremely meaningful for me as a mom and a legislator, especially coming from an organization that supports crucial volunteer work at home and advocacy at the state level,” Rolfes said.

Rolfes is the vice chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and chairs the Senate Ways & Means Committee. She has become a leading voice on education funding and reform over the past decade, working toward bipartisan solutions to improve outcomes for public school students around the state.