Gabby Giffords is a former U.S. Representative and a national advocate for gun violence prevention. She graduated from Scripps College in 1993 with a double major in Latin American Studies and Sociology and studied abroad in Chihuahua, Mexico, as a Fulbright Scholar. Elected to represent Arizona’s 8th congressional district in 2007, Giffords served in the House of Representatives until 2012, when she stepped down to focus on her recovery after surviving a gunshot wound to the head during a deadly mass shooting in 2011. The shooting, which claimed six lives and injured 12 others, changed the course of Giffords’ public service, but not her commitment to making a difference. Her determination to relearn how to walk and speak captured the nation’s attention and became a symbol of resilience, optimism, and civic dedication.
In the years following her recovery, Giffords has remained a powerful voice in public life as the co-founder of Giffords, a nonprofit organization that has emerged as a national leader in the gun safety movement. Since its founding in 2013, the organization has worked to elect gun safety champions at every level of government and has played a key role in advancing legislation to reduce gun violence across the country. In recognition of her advocacy and resilience, Giffords was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, the nation’s highest civilian honor. “Our path forward requires us all — leaders, voters, Americans — to name the problem clearly and to take action,” she has urged. Her ongoing work reflects a lifelong commitment to civic responsibility and a deeply rooted belief in the power of thoughtful, collective change.