[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E929-E930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO TELACU FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO SERVICE, ADVANCEMENT, AND 
                  EMPOWERMENT IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2006

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, the people of this great Nation share a common 
spirit and heritage. Whether born on the soil of this land or having 
chosen to come here in search of a better life--one free of political, 
social, and economic oppression, we are a nation of pioneers. We 
believe in the American dream, and the promise that through our labors 
we can achieve educational and economic success. No barrier is too 
imposing, no obstacle to tall that it should stand in the way of 
pursuing this dream.
  Two of my congressional predecessors, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and 
Jacob Javits, advanced legislation in the 1960s that promoted this 
dream by laying the foundation for an organization called TELACU. Since 
its founding in 1968, TELACU has become the largest community and 
economic development corporation in the United States. TELACU is a 
pioneering institution committed to service, empowerment, advancement 
and the creation of self-sufficiency. Brought to life through a small 
investment appropriated by Congress, TELACU has grown to become an 
organization with nearly $500 million in assets, creating thousands of 
jobs, affordable homes, loans to small business people, and most 
importantly, numerous educational opportunities for young people and 
veterans.

[[Page E930]]

  In 1983, TELACU established the LINC TELACU Education Foundation. For 
23 years, the foundation has partnered with corporate donors, private 
individuals, and a vast network of colleges and universities, providing 
the driving force behind one of the most effective national 
institutions ever to impact the educational needs of the Latino 
community.
  In conceiving the foundation, TELACU discovered that while financial 
assistance is vital for college students to achieve academic success, 
other factors are also important. Students who are the first in their 
families ever to attend college often lack the support system necessary 
to achieve their dream. Socioeconomic factors, family responsibilities, 
cultural identity and financial stress create very real conflicting 
challenges to academic life.
  The LINC TELACU Education Foundation has accepted this challenge head 
on, combining important financial assistance with highly effective 
programs that ensure college completion. The foundation supports 600 
college students and serves 2,000 elementary, middle and high school 
students and veterans each year. The success of this extraordinary 
foundation is best summarized by the numbers: Its scholar retention and 
college graduation rates are an astounding 100 percent.
  Mr. Speaker, I join today with community leaders throughout my State 
in expressing our Nation's gratitude to TELACU and the LINC TELACU 
Education Foundation for believing in the dream of higher education for 
America's next generation of pioneers and helping to make it possible.

                          ____________________