[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 A TRIBUTE TO MS. DOROTHY GRACE BOYAJIAN ON HER 53 YEARS OF DEDICATED 
                                SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS-

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2004

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor and pride that I pay 
tribute to an extraordinary teacher, Dorothy Grace Boyajian. For the 
past 53 years, she has been an inspiration to many of her colleagues by 
dedicating herself to serving the children of the San Mateo-Foster City 
School District.
  Ms. Boyajian was born in Camden, New Jersey, and arrived in the Bay 
Area with her parents in 1938. She attended Turnbill Elementary School, 
and later returned to the same building as a teacher. She attended 
professional growth classes at San Francisco State University, Stanford 
University and University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Boyajian still 
lives in the home her father built in Burlingame. She supports three 
children through Child Care International.
  Mr. Speaker, Ms. Boyajian's extraordinary teaching has received many 
awards. She has won the Who's Who in Teaching Award twice, was inducted 
into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame and was once judged to 
be one of the top 40 teachers in the United States. The litany of 
awards and honors bestowed upon her are indicative of the professional 
respect she has achieved, but Ms. Boyajian's true legacy is her 
students.
  Since her first days as a teacher 53 years ago, Dorothy Grace 
Boyajian has instilled in her students an important lesson that no 
matter how big the world is, they can and should play a part in it. As 
part of this lesson her students would write to famous dignitaries 
whose responses line the walls around her classroom. This led to a 
memorable moment when a local television show came to her classroom and 
showed responses from Queen Elizabeth II and the then First Lady Nancy 
Reagan.
  After a half century dedicating her life to teaching, Ms. Boyajian's 
passion for teaching and her commitment to this noble profession has 
not wavered. Ms. Boyajian has decided to retire in order to save the 
jobs of two of her younger colleagues. In what is truly the epitome of 
selflessness, Ms Boyajian recently reflected on her retirement by 
saying, ``I'll miss [teaching], but if it's going to help out some 
younger teachers, I'm willing to do it.'' It is a truly sad day when 
one of the most special teachers who has touched so many lives, has to 
retire due to budget cuts.
  Mr. Speaker, the impact that Dorothy Grace Boyajian has made on the 
people of San Mateo County is immeasurable. From the dolls her students 
have given to her for her collection, to getting stopped on the street 
by former students and told how she has affected their lives, there is 
no doubt that Ms. Boyajian is a teacher admired by many. Other teachers 
who have been lucky enough to work with her have described her as a 
mentor, and an inspiration to those who strive to make students feel 
like dignitaries themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, another example of Ms. Boyajian's effect on the 
community can be seen by the fact that the San Mateo County Board of 
Trustees has declared that June 4, 2004 will be Dorothy Grace Boyajian 
Day, and the San Mateo-Foster City School Board will rename the 
Sunnybrae Elementary School, where she taught over the last 20 years, 
the Dorothy Grace Boyajian Elementary School for the day.
  Teachers like Ms. Boyajian do not come along everyday, and seeing her 
retire, though well deserved, will certainly be hard on the community. 
I hope that all those who follow the path that Ms. Boyajian embarked 
upon over a half century ago find the same riches that she has found, 
the riches that you find in the hearts and minds of children.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dorothy 
Grace Boyajian, whose life has been dedicated to teaching the children 
of the Peninsula.

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