[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 26 (Wednesday, March 3, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E294-E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PEACE CORPS WEEK 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2004

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ``Do not 
go where the path may lead, go instead where there is

[[Page E295]]

no path and leave a trail.'' This week marks the 43rd anniversary of 
the Peace Corps. An organization that is forging ahead, creating a 
trail of peace and understanding around the globe with the hope that 
one day all peoples of the world will follow.
  Since its inception in 1961, over 170,000 Volunteers have served 137 
countries. Peace Corps Volunteers serve as teachers, business advisors, 
information technology consultants, health and HIV/AIDS educators, and 
youth and agriculture workers.
  The Peace Corps is expanding and last year entered or re-entered 
Albania, Azerbaijan, Chad, and Fiji and in 2003 the number of people 
applying to serve as Volunteers increased by 10 percent. Today there 
are 7,500 individuals serving in 71 countries. This is the highest 
number of Volunteers in the field in over 28 years. Of those 7,500 
dedicated individuals there are 32 people I would especially like to 
recognize:
  Carrie A. Abendroth, Katherine P. Barnett, Micael D. Bogar, Nathan A. 
Borgford-Parnel, April R. Brown, John S. Brown, Robert P. Burns, 
Rosemary S. Burns, Rachel S. Chernin, Alison M. Coady, Kevin D. 
Cummins, Ross C. Doll, Joy M. Hamilton, Jennie A. Hurt, Tracey A. Lake, 
Amber L. Lancaster, Mahri S. Leonard-Fleckma, Nathan S. Lubetkin, 
Susannah M. Malarkey, Luke A. Mattheis, Marin McCutcheon, Alec E. Metz, 
Joan M. Michaels, Carrie J. Mitchell, Janet D. O'Neil, Teresa L. 
Peterson, Jean R. Salls, Barbara P. Schlieper, Blaine M. Somerville, 
Rebecca S. Talbott, Joseph S. Trahan, Karen M. Yantis
  To those individuals I have just mentioned, you have made me and the 
people of the 7th district very proud. We salute your selfless 
dedication to the empowerment of people in developing countries and 
throughout the world. As your journey of good-will abroad comes to an 
end may you return home safe and continue to share your experiences 
with others so that they will endeavor to blaze their own trail using 
the Peace Corps as their guide.

                          ____________________