[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING THE GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2009

 Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I take the opportunity today to 
congratulate the class of 2009 at George Washington Community High 
School in Indianapolis, IN. This class has achieved the notable result 
of having all 89 spring and summer graduates accepted to college--a 
rare feat for any high school in America. Many of these students will 
be the first members of their families to attend college. Only about 5 
percent of the adults in the surrounding community have attended 
college.
  I am especially proud of what the students, teachers, and families of 
Washington High School are achieving because the school and community 
have played a big role in my early career and in the life of my family. 
My grandfather, Thomas L. Green, lived on the West Side of Indianapolis 
near Washington High School. Although he had only a fifth-grade 
education, he established Thomas L. Green and Company, a food machinery 
manufacturing firm, in a factory near the high school.
  When I returned to Indianapolis in 1960 after my Navy service, I 
joined my brother, Thomas R. Lugar, in managing the food machinery 
business. Many of our employees and interns came from the neighborhood 
surrounding George Washington High School. Thanks to the leadership of 
Principal Cloyd Julian and others, we joined the George Washington 
Business club, through which we met frequently with the students and 
teachers.
  In late 1963, a delegation from the West Side came to my office at 
the factory to encourage me to run for the Indianapolis Board of School 
Commissioners. They felt that schools on the West Side were being 
neglected, and they wanted to ensure that the perspective of our 
community was heard. I accepted their challenge and won a seat on the 
board in May of 1964. This responsibility deepened my involvement in 
the affairs of George Washington and other schools in our neighborhood.
  I was elected mayor of Indianapolis in 1967 and continued to stay 
closely involved with the school. During this period, George Washington 
had developed a legendary basketball program that was followed closely 
on the West Side. The school won the Indiana High School Basketball 
State Championship in 1965 and 1969. We attended every tournament game 
and any pep rallies. It was wonderful to see the high school as a 
leader politically, academically, and athletically.
  I take a moment to recount this cherished history because George 
Washington is a prime example of how a school can succeed through the 
hard work of its students and teachers, the support of the community, 
and the expectation of achievement. These students have dedicated 
themselves to setting an example for their younger siblings and the 
classes that will follow them at George Washington. The teachers never 
stop preaching about the advantages of going to college and never let 
the students assume that their education ends with high school. And 
parents have supported these students, even if the experience of 
college is a new one for their families.
  The most fundamental element of American competitiveness and progress 
is the quality of education that our children receive. We must make 
sure that all of our young people are educated 100 percent of them. We 
cannot afford to be satisfied with less. George Washington High School 
clearly has embraced this challenge.
  I am privileged to recognize this marvelous school and the students 
who are graduating and going to college, for this signal achievement. 
It is clear that the students at George Washington have the vision and 
inspiration to move ahead, which is so important to their lives but 
also to the success of our great country. I look forward to following 
their achievements and supporting their dreams in the years ahead.
  Below is a complete list of the remarkable George Washington High 
School Class of 2009:

       Edgardo Aboytes, Megan Adams, Armando Alejo, Mauricio 
     Arreola, Salvador Arteaga, Jose Arteaga, Louis Aumann, Imelda 
     Benitez-Vasquez, Sarah Boles, Devon Brogan, Dawn Caffery, 
     Sebastiana Campos, Aloric Carson, Ariel Casillas, Katherine 
     Cook, Erik Cook, Cheris Drotz-Smith, Joyce East, Luis 
     Escatel, Petra Felder.
       Edith Flores, Anthony Fuller, Manuel Gil, Dorthea Glenn, 
     Noe Gonzalez, John Graves, Christopher Hall, Katey Hicks, 
     Kaela Hunt, Kathryn Hunter, Tiffany Ingalls, Alma Jimenez, 
     Dujuan Johnson, Cleveland Johnson, Charles Lile, James Locke, 
     Adelmer Lopez, Rubi Lopez, Daniel Luckett, Karina Magallanes.
       Jessica Martinez, Joshua Masters, Angela McClure, Ashley 
     McClure, Patrick McDonald, Frederick McKnight, Keith 
     McLemore, Adem Meftah, Shantina Moore, Fernando Mora, James 
     Morris, Felicia Moy, Nohemi Ocampo, Rick Owens, Andrew 
     Parsley, Julian Peters, Kiara Ragland, Miguel Ramirez, Tisha 
     Ramirez, Daniel Rangel.
       Matthew Reeves, Jeffery Riley, Tiffany Riley, Brittney 
     Ritchie, Marcos Rivera, Marvin Rodriguez, Maria Rodriguez, 
     Fernando Rojas, Marcus Ross, Emanuel Ruiz, Loniqua Smith, 
     Erica Snyder, Gregorio Soto, Brittany Spears, Jason Stark-
     Jines, DeVaughn Stokes.
       India Tinsley, Samantha Turner, Maria Valdez, Kenneth 
     Valentine, Cassandra Vest, Sherry Whitescarver, Brandy 
     Whitescarver, Victoria Wilcox, Calvin Williams, Rodshied 
     Williams, William Wilson, Cassandra Wilson, Jose 
     Zelaya.

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