[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 127 (Wednesday, August 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      HONORING LINDA GALLIGAN-ROY

                                 ______


                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 2, 1995
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring 
a strong and devoted woman, Ms. Linda Galligan-Roy. Ms. Roy serves as a 
role model for each of us seeking to improve ourself and our community.
  As a young widow battling a drug addiction, Ms. Roy has stood firm in 
the face of challenge. She has set difficult goals and has accomplished 
them through hard work and untiring dedication. Dubbed the ``Concrete 
Queen,'' Ms. Roy excels in the male-dominated field of construction 
work. While building houses, Ms. Roy breaks down the barriers women 
face in society. Her passion makes her strong and her determination 
makes her capable.
  Ms. Roy has overcome tremendous personal challenges in addition to 
her professional success. At age 15, her mother's death forced her to 
leave school and enter the working world to help her father care for 
her younger siblings. Today she continues to demonstrate zestful spirit 
and strength: recovering from her dependency on drugs, she aspires to 
be a writer and plans to enroll in college.
  Ms. Roy not only hopes and strives to better herself but also to 
share what she has learned with others. She has written about many of 
her life experiences, from her love of construction work to the 
devastating effect that drugs had on her life. In a piece entitled ``A 
Knock on the Window,'' she describes the horror of substance addiction 
with vivid reality. As she expressed in a letter to me, her goal is to 
stop at least one person from developing a drug addiction. I admire and 
salute both her selflessness and its potential.
  It is people like Ms. Roy who are leading the way for other women and 
men who seek new opportunities. Her perseverance is inspirational; she 
leads by example. Mr. Speaker, I know the sacrifices and commitment 
necessary to accomplish all that this woman has, and I ask you to join 
with me in honoring Ms. Linda Galligan-Roy.


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