[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 JUSTIN ONWENU: PLAN B IS NOT AN OPTION

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Rice University Student Body President 
Justin Onwenu was born in Detroit, grew up in Alabama and moved around 
a lot as a kid. He lived in rural, suburban, and urban Alabama with his 
mom. His moving around didn't bother him; in fact it was quite the 
opposite. He says it was instrumental in learning a sense of how to 
coexist and feel others' perspectives. He was a very successful high 
school student active in debate, basketball, and student government.
  When he graduated, he knew exactly what he wanted: a small school in 
a big city. Rice University was the perfect fit. Justin had never been 
to Houston before his college visit to Rice, but once he saw the 
vibrant, diverse city, he knew it was the place for him--so much so, it 
was the only school to which he applied. Mr. Speaker, Justin just knew 
it was what he must do, he had no Plan B.
  Justin chose Rice, in part, because of its research and 
extracurricular activities. Upon arrival, he knew he wanted to study 
medicine, policy, and international health. There was only one problem: 
Rice University didn't have that degree. Justin decided to create his 
own degree plan. He formulated the curriculum and the class 
requirements, submitted it to Rice, and created the Bachelor of Arts 
Degree in International Health and Policy at Rice University. Once 
again, Mr. Speaker, Justin knew it was the right thing for him to do, 
no Plan B. Justin told me, ``I think about what opportunity is out 
there that I want, then I go after it!''
  In his sophomore year, Justin became involved in student government 
and was instrumental in the university's first-ever student survey to 
gauge sexual conduct on campus. Justin felt strongly that a dialogue 
was necessary for students to discuss their expectations with their 
peers, not just be pushed to know right from wrong. As a result of 
Justin's work, Rice University led the nation with the first Critical 
Thinking and Sexuality course required of entering freshmen. Other 
college campuses are now following Rice's lead and engaging in real 
talk about campus sexual conduct. Mr. Speaker, Justin recently shared 
his work with Congress when he testified at my ``Breaking the Silence: 
Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus'' Field Hearing. He says he knew 
from the beginning this was such an important topic, he just had to 
give a voice to it. He had no choice.
  Then Hurricane Harvey hit. Mr. Speaker, every Houstonian struggled to 
know how to respond to this devastating crisis. Justin knew he had to 
be involved with the school's Crisis Management Team, so he said he 
invited himself to their meeting. It was the first time the student 
body president was involved in such a high level tactical plan. Justin 
told me that throughout the meetings his thoughts were on the future. 
``How can we prepare for post-Harvey? We need to think about 
volunteering, not just making sure Rice is safe.'' Justin said he went 
``full in'' with this idea and decided to ``launch it first, then 
figure out the details later.'' With this in mind, the student 
government partnered with the Doerr Institute and the Center for Civic 
Leadership to create the Rice Harvey Action Team. The R-HAT, made up of 
1,700 students and faculty, worked with synagogues, churches, and local 
shelters on demolition and volunteer projects. ``There was no other 
option,'' Justin told me. ``We had to make it happen.'' There was no 
Plan B.
  With finals and term papers now due, Justin has taken on a new civic 
engagement project: scholarship reform. Mr. Speaker, you may have seen 
Justin's op-ed piece in the New York Times late last year on this very 
subject. Financial aid recipients who receive private scholarships are 
required to report the amount to their college or university. The 
school may then evaluate the scholarship and decrease the recipient's 
financial aid by the same amount. Since his op-ed, students and student 
governments from across the nation have reached out to him asking 
advice and thanking him for giving this issue a voice. Justin visited 
Capitol Hill this year to tell lawmakers about scholarship displacement 
and to propose policy changes. Justin is committed to educating 
lawmakers on this issue; there is no other choice for him. Again, no 
Plan B.
  Justin graduates this month. He looks back on his career at Rice and 
says he's proud that people who don't normally speak up, speak with 
him. He says people have told him he's their ``voice'' on issues they 
care about, but have never felt comfortable coming forward on. He says 
this has inspired him to continue to speak up and speak out for people 
and policy changes. He plans to attend law school in the fall.
  When considering how to tackle a project or a problem, Justin told 
me, ``You have a moment of `freak out' trying to decide if you should 
do something. I've learned how to tell myself to `just go for it'! It's 
easier to get involved and speak out than people think. I tell people 
to get passionate about an issue and work for change.''
  Mr. Speaker, Justin Onwenu works on his ``Plan As.'' And, he finds a 
way to make them work every time. Justin has never thought about a Plan 
B, in fact, in his 21 years it's never entered his mind that one should 
exist.
  And that's just the way it is.

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