[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 2 (Thursday, January 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E22]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DANIEL LAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 6, 2011

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to 
recognize a young man from south Florida, Daniel Lage, who has made 
headlines with his remarkable academic achievements at the young age of 
twenty-one.
  Daniel's family history is a sadly familiar story for many of us in 
south Florida; that of being forced to flee the Castro dictatorship of 
Cuba for the land of freedom and opportunity: the United States.
  I too come from this same background--and I know that the struggles 
of his family served to strengthen this young man's passion to succeed.
  There is no better path to success than that of a driven individual 
pursuing a sound education.
  I know that Daniel demonstrated his eagerness to learn and his 
matching intellect every day in the classroom. Through his hard work 
and with the support of his loving family by the time he graduated 
Gulliver Preparatory School he had been named Valedictorian and had 
earned the prestigious Silver Knight Award.
  Later, Daniel was accepted into Harvard University, where he has 
pursued a degree in history and science and will graduate in May. Never 
forgetting his roots, Daniel has been the president of Harvard's Cuban 
American Undergraduate Association and remains committed to the idea of 
a free and prosperous Cuba.
  Daniel embodies the noble values, unshakable integrity, and sheer 
determination that we all should aspire to match. Many people and 
institutions have certainly taken note.
  Daniel has received the incredibly prestigious Rhodes Scholarship 
where he will study at the world renowned Oxford University in England. 
Winners are selected for many defining qualities including high 
academic achievement, personal integrity, and leadership potential. 
Impressively, he is one of only seventy Floridians to ever receive this 
scholarship.
  At Oxford, Daniel expects to pursue a Master of Science--with a focus 
on different nations' approaches to caring for the chronically ill. 
Sadly, this focus is not arbitrary, and again both he and my family 
share a solemn common bond. His grandfather, Eugene, was recently 
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I know firsthand the terrible 
effects of this debilitating disease on an individual. My mother, 
Amanda, has been fighting a losing battle against the disease over 
these last few years.
  I know that my personal experiences with this horrific disease have 
prompted me to take action in the fight against Alzheimer's; so too 
have Daniel's experiences. He has partnered with the Alzheimer's 
Association as an advocate and has every intention and expectation of 
becoming both a physician and a policymaker in his future. I understand 
this deep-seated passion for geriatric medicine and certainly expect 
that his strong resolve will play an important part in unlocking the 
mysteries of this terrible disease and finally finding a cure.
  I know Daniel fully recognizes the immeasurable value of his ongoing 
education, and in doing so I am confident he will accomplish many great 
things for our community in south Florida, our magnificent United 
States, and above all continue to make his family immensely proud.
  So once again, Daniel, from a former Florida certified teacher and a 
firm proponent of education as a lifelong journey: I congratulate you 
on all you have accomplished--you are a fine example of the best and 
brightest in south Florida and I wish you truly all the best on all you 
hope to accomplish in the future.

                          ____________________