[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                MISS AMERICA IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL

                                 ______


                           HON. TERRY EVERETT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 1994

  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, today I had the pleasure of meeting a very 
inspiring young lady who hails from my congressional district. She is 
the new Miss America, Heather Whitestone of Dothan, AL.
  Heather is an outstanding example of the triumph of the human spirit, 
having overcome deafness to pursue not only a normal life but to 
achieve national fame. I am proud of her accomplishments and know that 
she will be an outstanding representative of, as well as an inspiration 
for, America's handicapped.
  In her much-deserved role as the new Miss America, I'm confident that 
Heather will pursuade corporate America to realize that people should 
be judged not by their disabilities but for their abilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the record immediately 
following my comments a copy of ``Anything is Possible,'' the platform 
of our lovely new Miss America, Heather Whitestone.

                          Anything is Possible

               (By Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995)

       Many young people in America today are challenged. Some 
     face unthinkable adversities and, despite the odds, enjoy 
     healthy and productive lives. Yet those who are unable to 
     overcome their obstacles and find a path of productivity 
     often suffer, in part, from an overwhelming lack of self-
     esteem and the absence of positive environments in which they 
     are challenged to try, fail, try again, and ultimately, 
     succeed.
       In facing my own life's challenges, I have discovered a 
     unique approach that I call STARS: Success Through Action and 
     Realization (of your Dreams). The five points of a star 
     itself have continually reminded me that the essential 
     elements to achieving success are: To have a positive 
     attitude; To believe in your dream, especially education, 
     which is a dream all Americans share; To face your obstacles, 
     no matter how great; To work hard; and To build a support 
     team.
       As I travel this country in my role as Miss America, I will 
     communicate the STARS approach to our nation's youth. I will 
     teach them, through word and deed, the value of setting high 
     goals, working hard and achieving their dreams and ambitions, 
     reminding them that their actions speak louder than any 
     words. I will also carry this message to parents, teachers, 
     counselors, ministers and others who influence youth, 
     imploring them to create the proper environments for young 
     people to employ STARS and to serve as committed members of a 
     young person's support team.
       As a living example of a challenged person who has used a 
     STARS approach to succeed, I will extend my hand to anyone in 
     need of encouragement and love. I will ask them not to 
     imitate me, but rather to believe in themselves and the power 
     of their spirit. and I will reach out to specific groups with 
     whom I share a special bond.
       I will motivate all young people who are deaf or hard of 
     hearing to pursue a broad range of communication and 
     educational options in their lives, choosing those which best 
     reflect their goals and encouraging them to choose the 
     options that will build their self-esteem and, ultimately, 
     ensure their success in life.
       I will invite youth with disabilities to join me in 
     reaching out to the nondisabled world--without fear or 
     concern--to tear down the barriers of acceptance that still 
     exist by demonstrating that their lives are about their 
     abilities, not their disabilities. In doing so, I know they 
     will find their own paths to success.
       I will encourage all young people facing challenges to 
     confront their obstacles with determination and confidence, 
     avoiding the epidemic of negative thinking that has swept our 
     country and robbed them of their self-esteem. I will help 
     them to realize their own success by setting very clear goals 
     and working hard to achieve them.
       And I will challenge opinion leaders and those who 
     influence youth to work ever harder at creating the proper 
     environments for all young people--disabled and nondisabled--
     to confidently establish their own identity, helping them to 
     find a productive place in our society, and inspiring them 
     always to try, try again, and one day, to succeed.
       To these young people and countless others, I will commit 
     myself, speaking out on their behalf when they cannot. I will 
     believe in their dreams. I will help them to work hard. And I 
     will always be the very first member of their support team.
       These promises I make today, the fifth day of October, 
     1994.
  


                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Thursday, October 6, 1994, may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                               OCTOBER 7
     9:30 a.m.
       Joint Economic
         To hold hearings to examine the employment-unemployment 
           situation for September.
                                             2359 Rayburn Building
     10:00 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings to review United States policy toward 
           Cuba.
                                                            SD-419
       Labor and Human Resources
       Education, Arts and Humanities Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the need for parental 
           involvement in the education of their children.
                                                            SD-430

                               OCTOBER 13
     9:30 a.m.
       Governmental Affairs
       Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee
         To hold oversight hearings on the Navy's mismanagement of 
           the sealift tanker program.
                                                            SD-342

                             CANCELLATIONS

                               OCTOBER 6
     9:00 a.m.
       Labor and Human Resources
         Business meeting, to mark up S. 2467, to approve and 
           implement the trade agreements concluded in the Uruguay 
           Round of multilateral trade negotiations, and to 
           consider S. Con. Res. 66, to recognize and encourage 
           the convening of a National Silver Haired Congress, a 
           committee resolution to authorize investigation 
           pursuant to Committee Rule 17, and pending nominations.
                                                            SD-430
     9:30 a.m.
       Governmental Affairs
         To hold oversight hearings on the General Accounting 
           Office.
                                                            SD-342