[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                OUR LADY OF LOURDES ACADEMY IN MIAMI, FL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 22, 1998

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to an 
outstanding group of girls from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy who won 
second place at this year's national We the People competition.
  These dedicated, remarkable girls spent countless of hours studying 
diligently to win the local and state tournament. Proudly representing 
the state of Florida this year in our national competition, these 
devoted 17 girls made evident their pride in our county's heritage and 
demonstrated their vast knowledge of U.S. history and of current 
events.
  Great statesman Edward Everett mentioned that ``Education is a better 
safeguard of liberty than a standing army.'' Mr. Speaker, education is 
indeed, a safeguard of liberty. Through education we are made free. 
These 17 girls have embodied the definition of liberty as they have 
edified on what our wondrous democratic nation has to offer. These 
students have learned to cherish the rights found in our constitution--
the rights our founding fathers died for and for this I commend them 
today.
  For winning second place this year, for the long nights and weekends 
spent in intense study and for the honor which they so greatly deserve, 
I ask my Congressional colleagues to join me today in congratulating 
the teacher Rosalee Heffernan and these high caliber students: Nina 
Bassil, Claudia Capriles, Alejandra Chamorro, Ana Del Cerro, Claudia 
Ferrer, Jennifer Garcia, Mariah Gidel, Miriann Guazzini, Annie 
Heffernan, Lauren Knickerbocker, Genevieve Koch, Monica Leal, Sabrina 
Munnings, Maria Ortega, Kristina Perez, Talia Romero, and Melissa 
Zurini.

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