[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1015-E1016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE COUNTY OF NAPA'S IF GIVEN A CHANCE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 8, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
valuable and tremendous work of the Napa County organization, If Given 
A Chance. For two decades, this group has provided scholarships and 
resilient high school graduates to overcome extraordinary challenges 
and troubled pasts.
  Since 1995, the If Given A Chance program has provided young people 
that have faced tremendous difficulties the opportunity to continue 
their education after high school and gain the work experience they 
need to succeed. With support from local businesses and philanthropic 
organizations, the program awards more than $100,000 in scholarships, 
and graduates have gone on to get Masters and Ph.D. degrees at schools 
such as UCLA, UC Davis, and Stanford University.
  If Given A Chance has supported hundreds of Napa Valley students in 
their efforts to pursue college and vocational education. The 
remarkable young people that participate in If Given a Chance have 
overcome gang affiliation, addiction, injury, abuse and disease, and 
this program provides them the opportunity to make a better life for 
themselves and their families. If Given A Chance is a testament to the 
significant and positive impact young people can have on their 
communities, and a true demonstration of the qualities that make our 
country great.
  Many have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of If Given A 
Chance, and none

[[Page E1016]]

more-so than Jim King, the program's founder. His legacy continues, and 
the board of directors has continued the tradition of exceptional work 
in support of Napa County's youth.
  Mr. Speaker, If Given A Chance has helped to engage and support so 
many students in the Napa community. I celebrate them for devoting 
themselves to the success of the next generation and wish them good 
fortune in their next twenty years of service.

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