[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E99]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING GWEN ESTES, EDUCATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2004

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gwen Estes, a recent 
recipient of the prestigious Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award. The 
international award, sponsored by a number of peace groups and 
Morehouse College in Atlanta, was presented to Ms. Estes for her 
commitment to promoting peace, unity and non-violence.
  Gwen Estes is a former parole officer. The job never seemed quite 
right to Ms. Estes as she has always been about building for the 
future. Years of watching guards lead shackled inmates into the great 
abyss of the prison system ran counter to values passed along by Ms. 
Estes' mother, who spent years teaching school.
  Seeking a career change, Gwen Estes followed in the family footsteps 
and choose teaching. However, she didn't pursue a mainstream teaching 
job. She opted for Hayward Community School, a last chance outpost for 
at-risk students who have been expelled for offenses ranging from 
fighting to selling drugs.
  Working tirelessly with students who needed more help than their 
regular teachers could give, Ms. Estes is saving the lives of troubled 
teens starving for positive attention, respect and caring.
  One need only look into the faces transfixed before her in her 
portable classroom to better understand why she received the 
prestigious peace award. Her classroom radiates with trust and 
compassion and Estes shares a connection with students who have felt 
alienated and alone in other settings.
  Now unlike her years as a parole officer, when her reports could lead 
to long sentences foreshadowing destroyed lives, Gwen Estes is giving 
out hope in exceptionally large doses at Hayward Community School.
  Ms. Estes is also President of the New Haven Board of Education, 
another factor that has contributed to success with her students. The 
confluence of her experiences as a school board member and parole 
officer gives her the kind of credibility many of her peers lack when 
working with at-risk students.
  She always says, ``I have voted to expel students but I much prefer 
giving out diplomas.'' Gwen Estes is giving students a foundation to 
break free of their problems, a reason to care. In many cases, it is 
something they would not have gotten if it weren't for her.
  A description from one of her students aptly describes Ms. Estes' 
exemplary contributions to her students. ``Even though she is a 
teacher, she is your friend. We can have good days or bad days, but she 
always tells us we can be what we want to be. Miss E is one of a 
kind.''
  Gwen Estes epitomizes the essence of the Ghandi, King, Ikeda award. 
She is bringing peace, unity, and hope to the classroom each day.

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