[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 183 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF MS. KAZIA CAPENER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 9, 2017

  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Ms. Kazia Capener for 
her service to my office and the people of California's Twenty-First 
Congressional District.
  Ms. Capener was born July 13, 1993 in Provo, Utah while her parents, 
Lars and LeAnn Capener, were attending Brigham Young University. As a 
baby, her parents moved to northern California, first to Davis then to 
Redding, where she lived until she was eight. Her family then moved 
Kazia, her brother Leif, and her sister, Anja, to Aurora, Illinois 
where her brother Kai was born. Throughout her childhood, Ms. Capener 
was an active tennis player and worked as a coach while in both high 
school and college.
  After graduating from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, 
Illinois, Ms. Capener went on to attend Brigham Young University, 
Idaho, in 2011. While in college, Kazia served an eighteen-month 
mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seattle, 
Washington. While in Seattle, she served as a full-time volunteer 
teaching about the church, organizing and performing community service, 
and teaching English as a second language. In 2015, Kazia studied 
abroad at Universite Paul Valery Montpellier--III, where she 
participated in an intensive French language immersion program in 
Montpellier, France.
  Kazia joined my team as an Intern in my Washington, D.C. office in 
March 2017 and quickly became Staff Assistant a month later in April 
2017. As Staff Assistant, Ms. Capener was instrumental to my team 
through managing my D.C. internship program, assisting my constituents 
by planning tours in the nation's capital, and helping staff with day 
to day tasks. As a member of my team, Ms. Capener was greatly respected 
by her peers for her professionalism and dedication to her work. 
Outside of work, Kazia is an avid music lover and enjoys attending 
concerts, videography, and learning about other cultures.
  Ms. Capener's time with my office will come to a close November 9, 
2017 when she leaves to begin a new career as an Employment Specialist 
at the Ethiopian Community Development Council in Washington, D.C. In 
conjunction with the United States Department of State, Ms. Capener 
will be responsible for helping refugees with special immigrant visas 
from all over the world create resumes, prepare for interviews, and 
ultimately, find employment. She will also teach American culture 
classes to new arrivals to help refugees integrate into their new 
communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of 
Representatives to join me in commending Ms. Kazia Capener for her 
public service to the people of California's Central Valley and wishing 
her well as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

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