[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 82 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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          REGARDING HORATIO ALGER AWARD RECIPIENT LESLIE JONES

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, on March 9th of this year, 105 
students--out of 80,000 applicants nationwide--were selected to receive 
the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, an honor bestowed each year on 
students and adults who excel despite significant adversity.
  One of those recipients was Leslie Jones, a 16-year-old student from 
White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee who, despite brain 
surgery to remove a tumor and medical complications that damaged her 
vision and rendered her facial muscles incapable of managing even a 
smile, will nevertheless graduate with her class this year--with 
honors. Her high school was also recognized as a Horatio Alger School 
of Excellence.
  Despite physical setbacks that kept her from attending classes, 
Leslie used a homebound teacher to keep up with her studies. When her 
eyes crossed and refused to cooperate, she--as her teacher described 
it--``just covered one eye with her palm and continued on.'' When asked 
if the homework was too much, Leslie never once said yes, even when 
some work had to be done over because faulty vision caused her to miss 
some lines on the page.
  In the essay which helped her win the competition over tens of 
thousands of others, Leslie wrote that despite the pity, the lack of 
understanding, and even the alienation of other people, she never once 
lost faith in her own ability to focus on her goals. ``In my heart,'' 
she said, ``I know my dreams are greater than the forces of adversity 
and I trust that, by the way of hope and fortitude, I shall make these 
dreams a reality.''
  And so she has. Yet, what is perhaps even more remarkable than the 
courage and determination with which she pursued her dreams, is the 
humility with which she has accepted her hard-earned reward.
  When 1,900 students gathered to honor her achievement, she down
played her accomplishment saying instead that everyone possesses the 
same ability to rise above adversity. Rather than dwell on her medical 
problems, she insists that they don't define who she is.
  Emphasizing the power of positive thinking, the Italian author, Dr. 
Piero Ferrucci, once observed, ``How often--even before we begin--have 
we declared a task `impossible'? How often have we construed a picture 
of ourselves as inadequate? A great deal depends upon the thought 
patterns we choose and on the persistence with which we affirm them.''
  Mr. President, Leslie Jones stands as a testament to the truth of 
those words just as surely as White Station High School proves that 
public institutions committed to helping students achieve can be a 
major influence in helping them shape a positive future for themselves 
and others. Both the school, and especially the student, deserve our 
admiration, our praise, and our thanks--all of which I enthusiastically 
extend on behalf of all the people of Tennessee and, indeed, all 
Americans everywhere.

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