Sen. Cornyn was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in San Antonio, the second of three children. His father was a B-17 pilot in World War II before becoming an Air Force dentist. At various points Sen. Cornyn’s family was also stationed in El Paso, Texas; Biloxi, Mississippi; Washington, D.C.; and Tachikawa, Japan.
Sen. Cornyn graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a degree in journalism. After starting as a biology major, hoping to become a doctor, Sen. Cornyn realized science wasn’t his passion and he switched to journalism and worked for the school paper.
Children are our nation's most valuable resource, and it is essential that every child has an equal opportunity to improve their future and develop to their fullest potential through a quality education.
- Senator John Cornyn
As the father of two daughters educated in public schools, Senator Cornyn believes every child deserves the best start in life, and that means access to a first-class education system. He understands the necessity of helping all children achieve their potential and knows that good schools strengthen our society by giving young Texans a strong foundation to help them succeed as citizens and individuals.
Senator Cornyn understands the results we want for our children require accountability for education providers but that federal bureaucracy and red tape keep us from reaching it. That is why his efforts in the Senate are focused on providing states and local school districts the freedom to design innovative, educational programs that fit the needs of each child and individual school districts. He believes higher education provides individuals with opportunities for success and economic mobility, whether that means an associate’s degree, a workforce certification, or a bachelor’s degree and beyond. For this reason, he has supported expanding aid for low-income students, increasing dual-credit or early college courses, and implementing market-based reforms to federal loan interest rates to help students and parents.