[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 96 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO ESPERANZA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY 
                              CELEBRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 2003

  Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
pay special tribute to an outstanding organization in Ohio. Esperanza, 
Ohio's only non-profit association dedicated to the promotion and 
advancement of education for Hispanics, has been serving the Hispanic 
community in Northeastern Ohio since 1983.
  Over the duration of the last twenty years, Esperanza has become a 
vital asset to the Hispanic population in Ohio, aiding thousands of 
Hispanic youth with educational programming, tutoring, mentoring, 
college and career guidance, and scholarship opportunities for students 
pursuing higher educational opportunities.
  Esperanza conducts programs for Cleveland youth in elementary, middle 
and high school. Furthermore, Esperanza offers a complimentary, 
instructional computer program to neighborhood residents. The fully 
equipped Community Technology Center provides individualized training 
sessions in keyboarding, data entry, Microsoft Office, Windows, and the 
Internet to Hispanics of all ages.
  Esperanza's competitive scholarship program offers an annual process 
that is available to all Hispanic students residing in Northeastern 
Ohio. In 2002, with the aid of various corporations, educational 
institutions and individual donors, Esperanza was able to reward forty-
seven Hispanic students with scholarships at the annual Fiesta of Hope 
Scholarship Luncheon.
  NASA Glenn Research Center and Dr. Michael Schwartz, President of 
Cleveland State University, will co-chair this year's Fiesta of Hope 
Scholarship Luncheon.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute 
to Esperanza on occasion of the 20th anniversary celebration. Our 
communities are served well by having such honorable and philanthropic 
organizations, like Esperanza, who genuinely care about the well-being 
of Northeastern Ohio's Hispanic community.

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