[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 2, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H299-H300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICA'S LEADERS, PAST AND PRESENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to highlight tonight 
the accomplishments of Jennifer Valoppi, a woman who has served as a 
wonderful example for teenage girls in my community of South Florida, 
and at the same time she has committed herself to her profession, 
rising to excellence within her chosen field as a television anchor.
  In 1997 Jennifer conceived, created and founded what is now a very 
successful program in South Florida called Women of Tomorrow. She 
convinced her employer, NBC 6, to sponsor this wonderful, ambitious 
program that has helped so many teens who otherwise might not have 
successful role models to look up to.
  ``Women of Tomorrow'' is structured in such a way that it pairs 
professional women in our South Florida area with teenage girls in 
order to improve their self-esteem, and it also provides guidance and 
nurturing in their lives. This fantastic program is designed to show 
young women the endless possibilities ahead of them as they embark on 
the beginning of their adult lives.
  Mentors meet with small groups, usually no larger than 10 girls in a 
group, to discuss the girls' ambitions, their motivations, their 
positive attitudes, the achievement of their dreams, in addition to 
sharing personal stories of triumph and, of course, temporary setbacks 
and obstacles.
  In addition to launching this wonderful organization devoted to 
teenage girls, Jennifer Valoppi is a multi-Emmy award winning 
journalist who has twice been named ``Best TV News Anchor.'' She 
inspires us with her dedication and her drive to improve the world 
around us.
  Madam Speaker, Jennifer Valoppi has made a tremendous mark on our 
community. I applaud all of her efforts, and I hope that more women of 
South Florida get in touch with Jennifer and also become part of this 
teen mentoring program, Women of Tomorrow.


                  the dante fascell north-south center

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, another leading citizen of our 
community unfortunately is no longer with us, and I would like to say a 
few words about this very unique individual.
  In Latin there is a phrase ``sui generis'' which refers to something 
unique and rare. I can think of no other way to describe our former 
South Florida colleague, Dante Fascell. Dante was a man of vision and 
of skill, whose intellect and political sense were instrumental in the 
passage of countless foreign policy measures throughout his tenure in 
this House, and in particular during the 14 years that he had the great 
privilege of chairing the Committee on International Relations which 
was then called the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Dante Fascell was a vital figure in the fight for democracy in my 
native homeland of Cuba, in all of Central America. He authored 
programs such as the Cuban Refugees Assistance Act, and he advocated 
the founding and was successful in establishing Radio and TV Marti. The 
freedom fighters throughout our Western Hemisphere always knew that 
they enjoyed the support of Chairman Dante Fascell because he not only 
fought to protect the national security interests of his country, our 
beloved United States, but he was unwavering in his efforts to help 
those who are struggling to regain their rights as freedom-loving human 
beings, as citizens of the world, and as brothers and sisters in the 
greater family of nations.
  Dante Fascell understood the idiosyncracies, the internal political 
dynamics, the historical context, and the global developments which 
impacted our region, especially the North-South relations, and for this 
reason he spearheaded and was successful in the creation of the North-
South Center in his hometown of Miami and his beloved university, the 
University of Miami. He did this in order to promote an even greater 
understanding of the issues, in order to move the discussions toward a 
proactive solution-based approach.
  It is appropriate that the father of the North-South Center, the man 
whose vision and perseverance helped make this dream a reality, be 
honored by having the North-South Center carry his name and the 
University of Miami, and in this fashion the legacy of Dante Fascell 
will continue to inspire future generations of leaders.
  So I am honored today to say some words of praise to a man who is no 
longer with us, Dante Fascell, but also to praise today's leaders who 
are very much with us, like Jennifer Valoppi,

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and who are leading the way for the women leaders of tomorrow.

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