[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 138 (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MS. SARITA BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2009

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. 
Sarita Brown upon receiving the 2009 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in 
Education. Ms. Brown is highly regarded for her hard work and 
dedication towards accelerating Latino success in higher education. For 
over two decades she has served as a shining example for students of 
Latino heritage.
  Ms. Brown started her professional career at the University of Texas 
at Austin. There she built a national model to promote minority success 
in graduate education. In 1993, her endeavors carried her to Washington 
where she joined the Department of Education during the Clinton 
Administration. As Executive Director of the White House Initiative for 
Education Excellence for Hispanic Americans, she was tasked with the 
goal of implementing effective strategies to raise academic achievement 
and opportunities for low-income and minority students nationwide.
  After her time in the administration, Ms. Brown applied her talents 
and experience to the nonprofit sector, serving as a leader among her 
colleagues and in her community. Ms. Brown is the co-founder and 
current President of Excelencia in Education, a not-for-profit 
organization working to promote Latino educational success in the 
classroom by linking research, policy, and effective practices in 
public policy.
  Ms. Brown currently sits on the Board of Directors for ACT Inc., the 
National College Access Network (NCAN) and on advisory boards for the 
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) 
Educational Fund and the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. In 
January 2009, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine bestowed the honor of 
appointing her to the Board of Visitors for Old Dominion University.
  In addition to being an expert on education, Ms. Brown is also an 
outstanding public speaker. Each year, she travels around the country 
advocating for the issues she has spent her career championing: 
promoting access and support for Latinos to receive a higher education.
  On behalf of the citizens of Virginia's 8th Congressional District, I 
congratulate and applaud Ms. Brown for her life's work. She is most 
deserving of the 2009 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. May it 
serve to bolster her on to even greater achievements in the years to 
come.

                          ____________________