[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE YOEMEN MARCHING BAND OF CAMERON HIGH SCHOOL IN CAMERON, 
                                 TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN R. CARTER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2011

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Yoemen 
Marching Band of Cameron High School who placed third out of the 297 
bands in state 2A marching competition in San Antonio on November 7, 
2011.
  The 97 member band is under the direction of Stephen Moss, head 
director, and Craig George and Danielle Roberts, assistant directors. 
Only ten bands performed in the finals competition, and the Yoemen 
Marching Band received a 1st place vote from all five judges, which 
advanced them to the UIL State Marching Contest in San Antonio for the 
first time in the history of the school. The band competed in the 
preliminary competition at the UIL State Marching Contest, which 
advanced them to the finals portion of the competition. The Yomemen 
Marching Band came in 2nd place behind the two time champion Queen 
City.
  This 2nd place finish advanced the band to the highly coveted finals 
competition that same evening. The Yoeman High School Marching Band was 
also selected to play at the World War II Memorial in Washington DC and 
was one of the ten bands selected to play in the Houston Livetock Show 
and Rodeo Parade this past spring.
  I congratulate the Cameron High School Yoemen Marching Band on their 
accomplishments and I am proud to represent them in the United States 
Congress.

RECOGNIZING THE SEMI-FINALISTS FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN SUCCESS YOUTHCON 
                          SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2011

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to rise 
today to recognize the finalists of the 2011 Asian American Success 
(AASuccess) YouthCon Scholarship program. Each year, AASuccess grants 
scholarships and recognition awards to 6 students in the Washington, DC 
Metropolitan Area.
   Founded in April 2006 by Dave Nguyen, Irina Nguyen, David Montanari, 
Sumesh Kaushal and Malou Gemeniano, the missions of AASuccess are to 
promote academic excellence of young Asian American and other minority 
students, foster mentorship and partnership between career 
professionals and student members, and promote ``The Act of Giving 
Back'' in the Asian American community. AASuccess offers 4 different 
programs to achieve their goals; the AAS Life Skills Academy, 
Scholarship Program, Giving Back Program, and the Arc360 Web TV 
Program.
   Scholarships are awarded in amounts ranging from $500.00 to 
$1000.00, and winners are selected based on academic performance, civic 
engagement, and completion of an essay. Using famous images from Saigon 
for inspiration, the theme for this year's essay asked applicants to 
consider their freedom, and the connection between protection of 
personal freedoms and civic duties. This thought provoking topic has 
encouraged students to reflect on and consider some of the most crucial 
questions we face today.
   While there will be 6 scholarship winners, it is my great pleasure 
to recognize the following 12 finalists:
  Ms. Sungmin Sohn; Mr. Vihanh Tham; Ms. Khanh-Ni Thi Nguyen; Ms. Mai 
Ly; Ms. Julie Hoang; Mr. Dylan Vu; Mr. Tristin Tran; Mr. Maxwell Tran; 
Mr. Minh Pham; Ms. Kirby Taylor; Ms. Julia Ngoc-Kim Nguyen; Ms. Krystal 
Sing.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the efforts 
of these students, and in congratulating them on their academic and 
civic accomplishments. I also commend AASuccess for their efforts to 
ensure and encourage professional development and success of students 
in our community.

                          ____________________