[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    A TRIBUTE IN RECOGNITION OF SISTER JENNIE LECHTENBERG UPON HER 
 RETIREMENT FROM PUENTE LEARNING CENTER AFTER 25 YEARS AS ITS FOUNDER 
                      AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sister 
Jennie Lechtenberg on the occasion of her retirement from PUENTE 
Learning Center--the educational organization she founded which has 
served more than 80,000 students since its inception 25 years ago.
  Sister Jennie's visionary and lifelong commitment to educating 
residents of low-income, underserved communities dates back to 1954 
when she joined the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. After 
earning a Bachelor's Degree from Holy Names College in Oakland, 
California, Sister Jennie worked as a teacher and administrator in Los 
Angeles-area Catholic schools for more than three decades.
  It was during a three-month sabbatical in 1983 that Sister Jennie 
received her inspiration for PUENTE Learning Center. After launching 
tutoring programs for low-achieving first- and second-graders at 
several public schools in Boyle Heights located in the heart of my 
congressional district, Sister Jennie observed firsthand that the 
children struggling the most in school came from homes in which parents 
lacked basic education and/or English-language proficiency.
  It was then Sister Jennie made it her mission to address the broader 
educational needs of the entire family. To enable parents to assist 
their children academically, she initiated an English-language-
acquisition class for adults. As an intergenerational, family-oriented 
educational organization, these classes served as the organization's 
academic foundation. In recognition of the center's broader purpose to 
improve the lives of adults and children in the home and in the 
community, Sister Jennie aptly named the center PUENTE--the Spanish 
word for bridge and an acronym for People United to Enrich the 
Neighborhood Through Education.
  Sister Jennie's vision and commitment to PUENTE's future also brought 
key support from generous donors. Prior to being elected Mayor of Los 
Angeles, Richard J. Riordan purchased property for PUENTE on Boyle 
Avenue. Classes were held on the property in 10 double-wide trailers. 
At Sister Jennie's urging, foundations, corporations, and individuals 
supported an ambitious $10 million capital campaign launched in 1992 to 
fund the construction of the center's 40,000-square-foot permanent home 
in Boyle Heights. The stunning new technologically-sophisticated center 
opened in 1995.
  During this same time period, efforts were underway to expand PUENTE 
into South Los Angeles, an impoverished community struggling to recover 
from the 1992 riots. Following the civil unrest, the ARCO Foundation 
invited PUENTE to establish a satellite campus on land that previously 
housed an ARCO service station that had been destroyed in the riot. A 
small, two-classroom center opened on the donated property in 1994 in 
temporary trailers where students received English instruction and 
basic computer skills.
  Community demand in South Los Angeles for additional classes, 
especially for children and adolescents, prompted the launch of a 
second capital campaign to construct a permanent $5 million South Los 
Angeles home. The 20,000-square-foot facility opened in November 1999. 
A multi-purpose room was added to the new facility in December 2001.
  Today, approximately 2,000 students attend classes each day in Boyle 
Heights and South Los Angeles. PUENTE's tuition-free programs include: 
Preschool Readiness; Charter Kindergarten; After School Enrichment; 
High School Tutorial; and Adult Education including English as a Second 
Language, Adult High School Diploma, Job Training, and Computer Repair/
A+ Certification Preparation.
  Madam Speaker, on March 18, 2010, the community will gather at a gala 
dinner to honor Sister Jennie's outstanding contributions as founder of 
PUENTE and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this life-transforming 
organization which has given hope and opportunity to countless 
individuals at the centers in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles.
  I ask my congressional colleagues to please join me in thanking 
Sister Jennie for her many years of exemplary service to the community. 
In addition to witnessing her incredible contributions to Los Angeles 
over the years, I am also proud to call her a dear friend.
   As Sister Jennie transitions into retirement, we commend her for her 
leadership and hard work to develop PUENTE into the nationally and 
internationally renowned educational center for children, youth and 
adults that it is today.
  We extend to her our most heartfelt gratitude and best wishes.

                          ____________________