[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 22, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING RYAN PATTERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 22, 2001

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to honor 
one of the bright young minds of western Colorado. Central High School 
junior Ryan Patterson, amazed people for the second year in a row at a 
science fair for creating a compact device capable of digitally 
translating sign language onto a small electronic readout.
  Ryan is no stranger at science fairs. He was the winner of last years 
science fair and went on to win first place and nearly $10,000 at the 
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Detroit. In total, 
Ryan has won numerous science awards, $192,000 in scholarships, $15,750 
in cash, two lap-tops, and two trips to Stockholm, Sweden, for the 
Nobel Prize ceremonies. Seventeen year-old Ryan recently won the top 
award in the International Science Fair in San Jose, California.
  The device that brought young Ryan all this fame is a glove that 
translates American Sign Language into digital information that can be 
read on a portable screen. The device will assist those with speaking 
disabilities communicate anywhere without a translator. Ryan came up 
with this while in a Burger King. ``I was in Burger King when I saw 
some people ordering their food in sign language with someone else 
translating for them,'' ``So I thought something like this would help 
them become more independent by being able to communicate easier.''
  ``For me, it's been an incredible journey,'' said John McConnell, a 
retired physicist. ``I'm 70 years old and he's one of the greatest joys 
of my life.'' Tests for the device were promising enough that Ryan 
plans on seeking a patent and he hopes to manufacture it.
  Mr. Speaker, Ryan has a bright future ahead of him, and I would like 
to congratulate him on behalf of Congress and wish him the best of luck 
in his future endeavors. Ryan's family, classmates, and Western 
Colorado can be proud of Ryan for his accomplishments.

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