The list encompasses "doctors and scientists fighting COVID-19, advocates pushing for equality and justice, journalists standing up for truth, and artists sharing their visions of present and future," according to TIME.
Hidalgo is on a list that also boasts Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old poet who captivated a worldwide audience during the President Biden inauguration; Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, the Senate newcomers whose victories swayed control of the U.S. chamber; and Lil' Baby, the chart-topping entertainer.
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Hidalgo, elected Harris County Judge in 2018 when she was 27 years old, is honored in a tribute by former congressman Beto O'Rourke in which he noted her intelligence, tenacity and humility.
"It's hard to imagine a tougher set of circumstances to confront in your first term in office, but she has really distinguished herself and makes us proud," wrote O'Rourke.
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Originally from Colombia and raised in Peru and Mexico, Hidalgo emigrated to the U.S. in 2005. She attended Houston-area public schools and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in public science the same year she became a U.S. citizen.