[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO MRS. MARY VEREEN ON HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______


                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 1996

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a 
remarkable educator whose exemplary life of commitment represents a 
genuine consecration to the ideals of service on behalf of thousands of 
students. Mrs. Mary Vereen is retiring from the Dade County Public 
Schools after serving 31 years of continuous teaching, educating and 
motivating countless boys and girls to choose the path of academic 
excellence and personal achievement.
  In her own quiet but dignified way she epitomized the noble qualities 
that ordinary Americans, the unsung heroes and heroines of our Nation, 
have always engendered into their charges time and time again. I would 
not feel right at all if I did not share with Congress the legacy of 
excellence and sacrifice this humble educator bequeathed to benefit the 
lives of so many children in my community.
  A salient description of what Mrs. Vereen meant to many homes in the 
inner city is so compelling as to tug at the heartfelt simplicity and 
relentless commitment she gave to these children. Nurturing them into 
becoming responsible and productive members of society, she transformed 
her covenant of service into one that bespeaks of her utmost caring and 
encouragement for their future. She also veritably became an oasis of 
hope and support for their parents who have had to weather the storms 
that constantly challenged them along the way.
  In her stint as a teacher and then as an administrator, she created 
ample opportunity and brought so much joy to so many students who were 
eager to meet the challenges she posed to them. With this basic 
methodology Mrs. Vereen went on to guide her charges, both children and 
their parents, counseling them to abide by the tenets of common 
discipline and personal responsibility. She instilled into their value 
systems no less than the love of learning and the mastery of the basic 
skills, demanding moral excellence and communal courtesy in their 
dealings with one another. Mediocrity was unacceptable.
  Mr. Speaker, my community will sorely miss the guiding hand of Mrs. 
Mary Vereen. Her legacy exemplifies a genuine stewardship reflecting an 
admirable fusion of utmost professionalism and personal integrity that 
will long be remembered and admired in the annals of educational 
leadership. I wish her a well-deserved retirement and success and 
happiness in her future endeavors.

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