Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine beamed from ear-to-ear, hands folded as he awaited his introduction to some 5,000 Floridians last Saturday.

This would be Kaine's debut to a world outside Virginia, where the affable Democratic vice presidential nominee ascended from city councilman to mayor to moderate governor to one of the state's sitting senators. Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hand-picked Kaine for his sway in the battleground state, and because his bilingualism may track well with an ever-growing Latino population.

"Bienvenidos a todos en nuestro pais, proque somos Americans todos," Kaine told the pro-Hillary crowd gathered at predominately Hispanic Florida International University. It translates to "Welcome to everyone in our country, because we are all American." Kaine went on to convey three of his values: "Fe, familia, y trabajo," which means "Faith, family, and work."

Lawmakers consider Kaine boring; a humdrum selection without Bernie Sanders' devout following or Elizabeth Warren's progressive agenda. Those outside the Old Dominion State may only recognize Kaine for his composure following the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, which was the country's biggest mass shooting up until then.

Still, there is a lot for Latinos to like about Kaine, aside from the expert harmonica skills he will reportedly show off along the campaign trail.

He governs a state with just over one percent of the United States' Latino population, but advocates for a pathway for citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals. Kaine previously said comprehensive immigration reform would include a fine and stricter border security, thought it may change under a Clinton presidency.

Here's a look at three ways Kaine has already embraced the Latino community.

Volunteering In Honduras

Kaine became a fluent Spanish-speaker following a missionary trip to Honduras in the early 1980s. Then a Harvard Law School student, he took a break from academics to volunteer with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps which aided poor communities across Central America.

He later recalled how the trip opened his eyes to Latin America's overwhelming poverty, and how it shaped his humanitarian beliefs.

"When I look back at times when I thought I was really on top of things I see how naïve I've been many times, placing stock in things that strike me as very unimportant now," Kaine told The Virginian-Pilot.

A Spanish-Language Speech to the Senate

In 2013, Kaine became the first senator ever to give a full congressional speech entirely in Spanish. The 13-minute speech was in support of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" bill that would have provided permanent residence to undocumented immigrants, among other pro-immigration reform measures.

"I think it is appropriate that I spend a few minutes explaining the bill in Spanish, a language that has been spoken in this country since Spanish missionaries founded St. Augustine, Florida in 1565," Kaine told the Senate. "Spanish is also spoken by almost 40 million Americans who have a lot at stake in the outcome of this debate."

Listening to Virginia's Latinos

While Clinton and the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence talk about reaching out to Latinos, only Kaine made it a priority well before the 2016 presidential race.

In 2006, Kaine appointed Latino activist Walter Tejada to head Virginia's Urban Policy Task Force aimed at identifying challenges minorities faced. This may pay off in the general election when approximately 290,000 Virginia Latinos adults are eligible to vote, along with 13 million others across the country.