[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING DR. MARIA GUAJARDO LUCERO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Maria 
Guajardo Lucero. As we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, we 
acknowledge the immeasurable contributions that Hispanic-Americans have 
made to enrich our culture and inform our values. The wealth of 
literature, film, art, music, and cuisine is evident throughout 
America, but even more so in my part of the country, the West. Core 
Latino values--hard work, faith, family, and love of country--are 
values we all respect and admire.
  The West is largely a story written in Spanish and Hispanic peoples. 
Whether as conquerors, founders or new immigrants, Hispanic people have 
shaped the country.
  So it was for Maria Guajardo Lucero, whose parents came to this 
country with six young children hoping to make good on the ``American 
Dream.'' Her mother had a second grade education and her father never 
went to school. As she has said, ``Between both of my parents they have 
never read a book. `` Yet they were wise in setting very high 
expectations for their daughter. They expected academic excellence 
because they knew that an education was her best opportunity to have a 
better life. Maria understood this at a very young age. She says, ``I 
determined to make growing up easier for other children.''
  Maria set high goals for herself and she reached them.
  She graduated with honors from Harvard University and earned her 
Masters and PhD from the University of Denver. In addition, she is also 
a graduate of the Kennedy School of Government Programs for Senior 
Executives in State and Local Government. Dr. Guajardo Lucero is now 
the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for Education and Children 
in Denver, where she oversees programs that include early childhood 
education (Head Start) to post-secondary education.
  I had the opportunity to work with her recently on the ``Education to 
Elevate Colorado's Economy'' (E3) Summit. She is as articulate on the 
subject of student preparedness as anyone I have ever heard. She points 
out that children in classrooms today are not only competing with 
children from other schools in America, but also with children on a 
global scale. Children today need to be prepared to compete with 
students from China, Russia, India, and around the world. If the United 
States is to retain its strength in the world, we must be prepared to 
compete in the global marketplace, and that means in the marketplace of 
ideas--the marketplace of excellence.
  Dr. Guajardo Lucero insists that we hold all students to the same 
high academic standards, regardless of their race or socio-economic 
status. I agree with her when she says that we should ensure that each 
student graduates high school and is prepared to enter college after 
graduation. Rationalizing that we should expect less from those who 
have less does an unconscionable disservice to our underserved 
populations. It also runs contrary to the instincts of any parent who 
naturally perceives boundless potential for their own child, so how can 
we hope for anything less for other children?
  If anyone can illustrate this in real life it is Dr. Maria Guajardo 
Lucero.
  I also want to note that Dr. Guajardo Lucero is a graduate of the 
Colorado Outward Bound School. She participated and graduated in this 
program when I was the head of this school, and at a time when I was 
trying to bring Outward Bound's leadership program to a more diverse 
population. While I signed her graduation certificate, I did not lead 
her course, but I am reliably informed by those who knew her at the 
time that she is a courageous rock climber.
  Nothing speaks more to our collective ideals than our investment in 
public education. The foundation of American society is based on the 
principle that each of us ought to have the opportunity to achieve our 
full potential. Dr. Maria Guajardo Lucero serves as an example of this 
ideal in practice. Whether one is fortunate enough to share in her 
Latino heritage or not, it is an ideal every American can appreciate.

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