Claudia Wellborn is a proud Texan. Her rich heritage includes deep roots in the German/Irish culture of South Texas and an Oglala Lakota grandmother through whom she became a member of the Lakota Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Born above the Big Thicket National Preserve in Woodville, Texas, she grew up respecting the power of nature. A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Denver College of Law, she is a career federal employee. Ms. Wellborn has traveled extensively for her job, and she lives by the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside, California with her two dogs.