[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E635-E636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 2010-2011 CONGRESSIONAL YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR 500 
      HOURS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY--ZACH RALSTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2011

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and 
privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of 
Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth 
Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed 
a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing 
the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service 
project.
  This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in 
grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the 
Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high 
school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current 
events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an 
important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back 
to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with 
over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, 
Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student 
shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to 
serve

[[Page E636]]

those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has 
helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams.
  President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who 
can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. 
Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, 
but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in 
civilization.''
  With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the 
members of the 2010--2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for 
showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It 
is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional 
Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young 
public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work. I salute you.
  A copy of each submitted student summary follows:

       Beginning last semester, one of my best friends and I 
     started visiting Frankford Middle School to partake in their 
     Friday Night Academy event, where high school volunteers such 
     as ourselves tutor younger students. We made a habit of going 
     to many of these sessions to help several students with 
     assignments and homework that they had missed or fallen 
     behind on. I continued to incorporate this as a part of my 
     service project for CYAC. As I have volunteered at my old 
     school over these past few months, I have come to realize 
     that it is extremely important for us to give back to the 
     generations behind us and provide them with an even better 
     education than we had received before them. If younger 
     students do not fully comprehend their math or other lessons 
     before reaching high school, chances are they will be less 
     inclined to do as well as those with a more solid educational 
     foundation, something that every good student deserves. I 
     hope that I have been able to help teach or reinforce some of 
     those concepts with the students I have spent time working 
     with at Frankford, and that I will continue to do so to help 
     them with and prepare them for high school and the rest of 
     their academic career.
     --Zach Ralstin

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