[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO HARDEEVILLE-RIDGELAND MIDDLE SCHOOL INCENTIVE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2013

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an innovative 
program taking place to incentivize students at a Jasper County, South 
Carolina middle school. Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School is in a 
rural, persistent poverty county where more than 20 percent of its 
population has lived below the poverty line for the last 30 years. 
Eighty-eight percent of the students who attend Hardeeville-Ridgeland 
Middle School qualify for free or reduced lunch. Yet the Jasper County 
School Superintendent Vashti Washington is working hard to encourage 
students in this school to focus on their academics raise their self 
esteem and dream of better of futures.
  I am pleased the James E. Clyburn Research and Scholarship Foundation 
is underwriting the cost of Dr. Washington's program to provide school 
letters and pins to students at Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle who meet 
certain criteria established by the school. Students will be awarded 
letters and pins for certain levels of achievements in the classroom, 
on PASS tests, and several other extracurricular activities, just as 
many schools do for athletics. These letters and pins are intended to 
set up healthy competition among students and to recognize and 
incentivize their achievements and performances.
  I want to highlight four of the students who have demonstrated the 
drive and dedication needed to earn this recognition. All four of these 
students have received ``exemplary'' in at least four areas of PASS 
testing, which assesses the knowledge of students in the core academic 
areas of writing, English, math, science, and social studies.
  Amber Crosby is an eighth grader who scored exemplary in all five 
areas of the PASS test. She is an award-winning artist who attended a 
Visual Arts Summer Academy, and she is also working on her first novel. 
She is on the principal's honor roll and attributes much of her success 
to the values instilled in her by her parents who taught her the 
importance of her diverse heritage, which includes Polish, Russian, 
Irish, British and Native American descendants. Amber aspires to be an 
artist or work in veterinary medicine.
  Lorena Escobar is an eighth grader from Hardeeville who takes her 
academics very seriously. An honor roll student, she is currently 
enrolled in Algebra I Honors, English I Honors and Spanish I. She 
enjoys drawing and music, and spending time with her parents and her 
younger sister. Lorena is passionate about eliminating bullying.
  Kaleb Frazier is a seventh grade honors student. His favorite 
subjects are writing and math. He is also very athletic and plays 
linebacker for the school football team. In his spare time he writes 
rap music and spends time with his family. Kaleb hopes one day to be an 
attorney or a computer engineer.
  Cynthia Simental-Parra is a seventh grade student from Hardeeville. 
She loves math and history and describes herself as ``artsy.'' She 
enjoys singing, drawing and sewing, and is a member of band and chorus. 
She is also active in track and soccer. Cynthia would like to become a 
singer, but if that doesn't work out she would consider running for 
President of the United States.
  These are just four of the outstanding students that will be 
recognized with a school letter from Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle. It 
is my sincere hope that they will continue to be wonderful examples to 
their classmates and that they encourage others to earn their letters 
as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer my great appreciation to Superintendent 
Washington for implementing this visionary program at Hardeeville-
Ridgeland Middle School. It is my hope that through such positive 
reinforcement these and other students will work hard and attain their 
dreams.

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