[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 194 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING SARAH SMIERCIAK, RECIPIENT OF THE 2011 RHODES SCHOLARSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2011

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sarah Smierciak, a 
graduate of my alma mater, Northwestern University, who was recently 
awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
  Ms. Smierciak hails from Lemont and majored in History and in Middle 
East Language and Civilization. She studied Arabic at the American 
University in Cairo and Damascus University. She is also an 
accomplished triathlete and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor 
Society.
  Established in 1903, Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to outstanding 
well-rounded students to attend Oxford University for postgraduate 
study. The selection committee identifies young men and women of 
outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to 
service. Over 830 of our nation's top students applied and Sarah was 
awarded one of only 83 Rhodes Scholarships.
  Ms. Smierciak's work and experiences demonstrate that she is a very 
deserving choice for this prestigious scholarship. She has published 
articles on social justice and published her photography, and serves as 
a docent on Egyptian art at The Field Museum.
  Fluent in Arabic, she currently resides in Egypt, where she is 
promoting the value of education by assisting orphans in the aftermath 
of the Egyptian Revolution. Through her work with the international 
charity, FACE for Children in Need, she is working to develop a 
teaching curriculum for the street children of Egypt and Sudan. She 
remains tireless in her devotion to helping these young boys appreciate 
the need for education.
  Ms. Smierciak plans to use her Rhodes Scholarship to pursue 
developmental studies at Oxford University. She aspires to one day be 
an advisor at the United Nations.
  I ask you to join me in honoring Ms. Sarah Smierciak, a member of the 
Rhodes Scholarship Class of 2012, and may she have success in all her 
endeavors to promote the value of education throughout the United 
States and the world.

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