[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 135 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING A NATION'S APPRECIATION FOR THE HEROIC STAFF OF HILLSDALE 
                              HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE SPEIER-

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, every weekday morning, millions of parents 
send our children off to school, entrusting their care to the teachers, 
administrators and other professionals who do their best to make school 
as safe and supportive an environment as possible. Yet we are reminded, 
far too often, that no one's safety is guaranteed if a disturbed person 
or group is intent on committing an act of violence.
  On August 24th, a former student with his mind set on mayhem entered 
the campus of San Mateo California's Hillsdale High School with enough 
weapons and explosive devices to kill or injure hundreds. The 
remarkable fact that no one was seriously hurt is due entirely to the 
heroic efforts of the staff who, according to Principal Jeffrey 
Gilbert, ``More ran toward the explosion than away from it.''
  Student services aide Jana Torres, a district employee since 2001 and 
known for her strong relationship with students, saw the attacker 
attempting to start a chainsaw and yelled at him to stop. Instead, he 
lit a pipe bomb and hurled it at her. Disregarding her own safety, Ms. 
Torres called for help and jumped over the device to pursue the 
attacker as the pipe bomb detonated behind her.
  Just as a second bomb went off, 12-year teaching veteran Kennet 
Santana, a favorite among students for his innate ability to inspire 
and motivate young people, tackled the running assailant before he 
could ignite more of the home-made bombs he had strapped to his vest.
  Coming to Kennet's aid were Principal Gilbert, a former Hillsdale 
teacher known for his easy-going and patient manner, and counselor 
Edgardo Canda, another former teacher who has found his calling as a 
counselor, able to relate to students on many levels. They helped 
subdue and hold the attacker until police arrived.
  Madam Speaker, at that point in time, none of these heroes knew if--
or how many--others were part of this plot or if the bombs strapped to 
the desperate young man's vest were about to detonate.
  Ms. Torres, Mr. Santana, Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Canda have rightly and 
appropriately been singled out by their community. They, along with the 
brave officers of the San Mateo Police Department, in particular the 
first responders--Captain Kevin Raffaelli and Officers Rick Apecechea, 
Jeff Dellinges and Roberto Gonzalez--deserve our gratitude for their 
selfless acts of heroism.
  So, too, does the entire staff at Hillsdale High School that morning. 
As Principal Gilbert said, ``We're getting a lot of the credit but 
there were a lot of teachers who basically stood their ground and said 
we're going to do whatever it takes to protect our kids.''
  Madam Speaker, our entire nation is eternally grateful for the 
dedication of these and so many other public education professionals 
who, every day at schools across this country, take on the awesome 
responsibility of doing ``whatever it takes'' to educate, prepare, and 
protect our children.

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