[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MONICA DOMINGUEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BETO O'ROURKE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2014

  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize Monica 
Dominguez, the lead counselor at Dr. Sue Shook Elementary School in 
Horizon City, Texas. Ms. Dominguez is in Washington D.C. to be honored 
as an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) 2014 School 
Counselor of the Year finalist.
  Ms. Dominguez has led Shook Elementary's efforts to close the gap in 
services for low-income students through a counseling program that 
supports students' academic, social and emotional development. By 
reaching out to students beyond the confines of the school day, Ms. 
Dominguez has earned respect from fellow educators, parents, and most 
importantly, her students. In addition, Ms. Dominguez has developed 
effective relationships with local agencies to support the overall 
well-being of diverse students and families in El Paso County.
  Before joining the staff at Shook Elementary, Ms. Dominguez served as 
the grants counselor for Project HOPE (Heightened Opportunities for 
Promoting Excellence) at H. D. Hilley Elementary School, which serves 
many students and families who experienced the negative impacts of 
violence in Mexico. Many of these families moved to El Paso to escape 
violence and the new students were in need of emotional and academic 
support. Ms. Dominguez set up Hilley's first data-driven, comprehensive 
school counseling program, where she maintained a low student-to-
counselor ratio; decreased disciplinary referrals; increased attendance 
rates; and helped students and teachers succeed on state assessments.
  Horizon City and the entire El Paso community continue to benefit 
from the positive impacts that Ms. Dominguez has on her students in her 
third year as a counselor at Shook Elementary. Her leadership skills 
and comprehensive vision shape the lives of her students and their 
families. I join the ASCA and the El Paso community in honoring Ms. 
Dominguez for her dedication to serving students and for the inspiring 
example she has set for school counselors across the country.

                          ____________________