[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 68 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E971-E972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO SAMANTHA FANG

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2006

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Samantha Fang for her selection as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts 
for 2006, our Nation's highest honor for graduating high school 
artists.

[[Page E972]]

  Samantha was selected as one of the 20 Presidential Scholars in the 
Arts this year for her success and accomplishments as a classical 
pianist. She was selected for this honor by virtue of being a national 
Finalist in the NFAA Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) program, 
a program in which 6,524 high school students applied to in 2006. 
Samantha and her fellow Presidential Scholars in the performing arts 
will be featured in a showcase performance during the Salute to the 
Presidential Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing 
Arts.
  Samantha, who will graduate as valedictorian of The Harker School in 
Sunnyvale this June, began her piano studies at the age of 5. 
Currently, she is enrolled in the Preparatory Division at the San 
Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she was named an ``Honorary 
Distinction'' student, the highest award presented by the Preparatory 
Division. Additionally, Samantha was named the California state winner 
of the 2005 MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) Senior Piano 
Competition, has performed in the Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall as winner 
of the Russian-American International Festival and will be broadcast as 
a soloist on WQXR radio's Young Artist's Showcase this June.
  I am proud to stand here today to recognize Samantha for her 
accomplishments as an exceptional artist and student. I urge Samantha 
to continue to take an interest in the performing arts, as artistic and 
creative innovation is a crucial component of America's cultural 
fabric, and I wish her the best of luck as she continues her education 
at Harvard this fall.

                          ____________________