[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E453-E454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO CLAUDETTE NICOLE SABA MONESTIME--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 
                           WOMAN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions made by 
our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women 
who are making a difference in my congressional district. Today I would 
like to recognize one remarkable woman, Claudette Nicole Saba Monestime 
of Atwater Village, a unique neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
   Claudette Nicole Saba Monestime is a Palestinian American who was 
born in Wiesbaden, Germany, where her father was stationed serving the 
United States Army during the Vietnam War. Nicole, her parents and two 
sisters moved from Germany to Anaheim, California after her father's 
military service ended. She credits her amazing public school education 
in the Anaheim school system and the attainment of a Bachelor of Arts 
in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.
   She moved to Atwater Village nearly twenty years ago to expand her 
career in marketing, and along the way met and married her husband, 
Rene Monestime. They had two sons, Reece and Micah. After having a 
successful career as a marketing manager at Princess Cruises and Cunard 
Line, she started her own marketing firm and immersed herself in her 
children's public school education.
   Ms. Monestime helped create a technology vision for Glenfeliz 
Boulevard School for Advanced Studies, which has resulted in the 
consistent use of 75 iPads and 35 laptops by students throughout all 
grade levels. She continues to volunteer her time in the classroom by 
helping teach first, second, and third grade students about the 
intricacies of computer programming. Nicole is the president of the 
Glenfeliz Boulevard School for Advanced Studies' non-profit booster 
organization, Friends of Glenfeliz, which raises much needed funds to 
help to pay for programs that benefit the entire student body, and also 
participates in an ongoing community outreach campaign to ensure that 
local businesses play an integral role at the elementary school. Ms. 
Monestime serves as the president of the School Site Council, which 
works with the Los Angeles Unified School District to give parents 
perspective and feedback regarding decisions made at the district 
level.
   Nicole's inspiration comes from the committed parents, 
administrators, teachers, business and non-profit leaders from the 
Atwater Village community who work in creative ways to make a 
difference. When they say, ``It takes a village to raise a child,'' 
that is most certainly true and is happening in Atwater Village.
   I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-
respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Claudette 
Nicole Saba Monestime.

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