[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 70 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO SONIA CLAYTON

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 9, 2014

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ms. Sonia 
Clayton for her tremendous accomplishments with her business, numerous 
awards she has received and for being featured on the cover of Small 
Business Today magazine. Sonia is a perfect example of the American 
Dream.
  Sonia was born in Colombia, where she spent the first part of her 
childhood, before moving to Venezuela and eventually the United States. 
Growing up, Sonia said life was not easy. She had no father figure, and 
grew up poor in an underdeveloped country. She said that living without 
a paternal figure, she had to figure things out on her own and learn 
how to survive. It is during this time that Sonia learned how to 
``think outside the box,'' as she put it.
  She said that she learned to get creative and embrace the challenge, 
tackle it and overcome it. As she explained, when there is someone 
there to prevent chaos in your life, you learn nothing, but when you 
have to figure it out on your own, you learn how to survive, because 
you have to.
  In 1984, Sonia moved to the United States. In order to support 
herself, she had three jobs. She first worked as a caretaker for an 
elderly couple close to death. She then worked in a rest home and from 
that job, created a crew who cleaned houses around the Salt Lake City 
area. It was during this job that Sonia learned English. Sonia also 
worked as an interpreter; she is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese 
and English.
  In 1990, Sonia came to Texas. She first worked for Air France and 
from there went on to work for Continental Airlines. She started out 
doing transit operations and later went on to work in corporate 
security. Sonia pioneered a team that put together Continental Airlines 
first security group.
  It is during this time that Sonia began working with different 
databases and programs for training purposes, and first got into IT. 
Shortly after 9/11, Sonia created Virtual Intelligence Providers, L.L.C 
(VIP). VIP is an information technology company that focuses on oil and 
gas. It first started out as a way to help her friends find jobs that 
had been lost due to the events on September 11th. She began reaching 
out to different companies and as Sonia put it, she didn't just start 
with the little guy, she reached out to huge corporations and Shell Oil 
became her first client.
  VIP grew very quickly, making $300,000 in its first year and hitting 
the million dollar mark in its second. VIP has been in business for 13 
years.
  In all her success, Sonia always remembers to give back and promotes 
this spirit throughout VIP and its employees. She has started three 
nonprofits: The VIP Education Foundation, The Angels for Soldiers 
Foundation and The Cancer Foundation.
  Sonia also continues to support the Mormon Church. It is through 
Mormonism that she grew to become familiar and be involved with 
Christian and American values, which she witnessed growing up through 
the works of missionaries and Red Cross workers.
  Sonia said that Americans are very generous people and America is the 
only country in the world that worries about its neighbors and helps 
maintain their freedoms and liberties. She also knows that it takes 
genuine people who are willing to sacrifice that make this country 
great. She raised her children with the principle that they can either 
serve God or their Country. Her son is an officer in the US Navy and 
her daughter is a returned missionary in the Mormon Church.
  Sonia believes all these works are a way to give back to America so 
that someone is able to benefit from her and her family's generosity, 
the same generosity that she once benefited from.
  Sonia is a remarkable, successful woman, gracious and giving citizen 
and a cancer survivor. Her exceptional story reminds us that even in 
times of great adversity, we can succeed if we work with tireless 
determination. She teaches people everywhere the importance of giving 
back and I am thankful to have her as one of my many neighbors in 
Houston, Texas. Sonia embodies the character of a Texan through and 
through.
  And that's just the way it is.

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