[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 18 (Thursday, January 25, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO SAMANTHA NEFF, LEESA LAVENDER, AND JULIE DelRUSSO

 Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the Record 
an article that was published in the Orlando Sentinel, ``Seminole 
Announces Three Teacher-of-the-Year Finalists.'' I commend Ms. Samantha 
Neff, Ms. Leesa Lavender, and Ms. Julie DelRusso for their dedication 
to Florida's students and wish them well in the State's Teacher of the 
Year Selection process.
  The material follows:

               [From the Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 24, 2018]

         Seminole Announces Three Teacher-of-the-Year Finalists

                           (By Leslie Postal)

       A math coach, a civics teacher and a high school instructor 
     who works with students with disabilities were tapped 
     Wednesday as finalists for Seminole County's teacher-of-the-
     year honors.
       The winner will be announced March 15 and will then be in 
     the running for Florida's top teacher award.
       Seminole's three finalists are:
       Samantha Neff, a math coach at Idyllwilde Elementary 
     School, who has been an elementary school teacher in the 
     district for 17 years and also teaches at the University of 
     Central Florida.
       Leesa Lavender, a seventh-grade civics teacher at Markham 
     Woods Middle School, who has taught middle school social 
     studies since 2007.
       Julie DelRusso, who works with 9th-to-12th-grade students 
     through the district's Exceptional Student Support Services 
     Department. She's been a teacher with the district for 25 
     years.
       The district will announce the winner at the teacher-of-
     the-year ceremony at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte 
     Springs.

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