[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     GLEN STEVENS FROM NORTH BRANCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RICHARD M. NOLAN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 2015

  Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a story of how a 
conversation at the National Association of Secondary School Principals 
Conventional last year in Dallas turned into a transformational life 
experience. Glen Stevens, who serves as the Assistant Principal at 
North Branch Area High School, was offered an opportunity to have an 
expense-paid volunteer trip to the Dominican Republic to help in the 
building of a vocational center of a local school. He submitted an 
application and his name was thrown into a large pool of educators 
willing to have the experience. He said, ``When you're 13 or 14 in the 
Dominican Republic, and you're done with elementary school, unless you 
have phenomenal talent or potential, you're not going to high school.'' 
Because sixty percent of the Dominican Republic's vegetables come from 
the Constanza area where he was volunteering, many of these families 
only find work in the fields, earning perhaps $4 to $5 a day. Stevens 
could see the disparity of the income gap between workers and the 
wealthy land owners.
   Fortunately, Glen was able to speak some Spanish, but it took him a 
while to understand what the school children were trying to communicate 
when they kept saying ``espaldas.'' After a short time, he found out 
the children wanted to ride on his big, strong shoulders. During his 
volunteer stint from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm each day, he was moving blocks 
and mixing concrete all day. Though he had a short break for lunch, 
children would come clamoring for attention and suddenly his weariness 
was gone. He explained, ``It was like a big ``boom'' and your energy 
level would be back up again.'' He was heart-warmed from the warm 
reception he received from all the Dominicans. ``Even though most of 
the volunteers spoke little or no Spanish, and the Dominicans didn't 
speak English, a bond had formed between them than transcended 
language.
   He said he came back a different person and knows the next group of 
volunteers coming to finish painting and completing the electrical work 
will find the same spirit.
   This school, founded by Pastor Angel Moreta, will give children more 
options than working in the fields after elementary school. They will 
be adding programs for culinary arts, beautician trades, music and 
woodworking in addition to building on their skills in reading and 
mathematics.
   Glen Stevens has hopes and dreams for these children to achieve 
success with new-found skills. I am certain he came home with far more 
than he brought with him and will share this new message to the 
students at the North Branch Area High School.

                          ____________________