[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 139 (Friday, November 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1589-E1590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE IMPACT OF HELIOS EDUCATION FOUNDATION

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 14, 2014

  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments and the impact of Helios Education Foundation on the 
success of all students in Arizona and Florida. I also want to 
congratulate Helios Education Foundation on celebrating 10 years of 
changing lives and strengthening our communities through education.
   Helios Education Foundation was created in 2004 through the sale and 
conversion of Southwest Student Services Corporation led by a visionary 
President and CEO, Vince Roig, and Board of Directors. At the time of 
the sale, Southwest Student Services was the eighth largest holder of 
federally-insured student loans in the country. The net proceeds of 
that sale were used to create the Foundation's initial endowment of 
$525 million.
   Since that time and in perpetuity, the Foundation has and continues 
to be focused on its ultimate goal of creating opportunities for every 
individual in Arizona and Florida to succeed in postsecondary 
education. Helios is investing its knowledge, expertise and resources 
to advance student academic preparedness and to foster college-going 
cultures in both states.
   It's through a decade of strategic partnerships and investments that 
Helios has identified Early Grade Success, College and Career 
Readiness, and Postsecondary Completion as the three most critical 
reform priorities needed to ensure student success. In Early Grade 
Success, Helios is working to ensure that all children enter 
kindergarten prepared to succeed and read at grade level by the end of 
third grade. In College and Career Readiness, the Foundation strives to 
ensure that all high school graduates are prepared to enter the 
workforce or credit-bearing college courses. And, the organization's 
work in Postsecondary Completion is focused on helping more 
traditionally underserved students access, persist and attain a high-
quality postsecondary certificate or degree.
   Helios Education Foundation believes that education is an investment 
and not an expense and has invested over $155 million in educational 
initiatives across the full education continuum. To that end, the 
Foundation has supported the college-going aspirations of more than 
135,000 students, provided more than 8,000 scholarships for 
postsecondary education and provided professional development and 
training for more than 16,000 educators. Through these and future 
investments, Helios is laying the foundation for the ongoing

[[Page E1590]]

economic viability of our communities and paving the way for our 
students to compete and succeed in a global workforce.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Helios 
Education Foundation for serving our communities, and in particular, I 
commend its Founder and Chairman, Vince Roig, for his passion and 
commitment to this work. In addition, I congratulate Helios Education 
Foundation's Board of Directors and Staff for the tangible and critical 
impact the Foundation has had over the past 10 years. Most importantly, 
I am excited about the long-lasting and transformative change Helios 
Education Foundation will have on our community in perpetuity through 
education.

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