[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1122-E1123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO DARRELL TORGERSON

                                 ______


                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 1996

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute a 
decorated veteran of public education, Darrell Torgerson, on the 
occasion of his retirement from active service.
  Mr. Torgerson has taught chemistry to students at Mira Loma High 
School in Sacramento for the past 30 years. Over the course of those 
three decades, Mr. Torgerson's rare fusion of light-heartedness and 
dedication to the task at hand has earned him a permanent place in the 
hearts and minds of countless pupils.
  Mr. Torgerson is the kind of teacher in whose eyes the classroom door 
is never closed, and in whose ears the dismissal bell never rings. 
Ignoring the common standards of mediocrity, Darrell Torgerson has set 
the standard for this students by demanding more of himself than was 
ever asked. Mr. Torgerson has devoted countless hours after school to 
tutoring both the eager and the frustrated, has worked closely with 
honor students on their science papers for the International 
Baccalaureate program, and has coached student teams to numerous 
victories in various local and national science competitions. His 
freshman students have made their mark in Sacramento area competitions 
by regularly taking first place over opposing high school teams made up 
of juniors and seniors.
  We all know that teachers are the guardians of America's future, but 
we don't hear enough about teachers like Darrell Torgerson, who has 
been a guardian angel for an entire generation of young people. I 
commend him on

[[Page E1123]]

his long and fruitful career, and I wish him the best of luck on the 
next stage of his life as educator.

                          ____________________