[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 72 (Thursday, May 2, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PRAISING THE PERSEVERANCE OF BRIAN SCHNELLE

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 2, 2019

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Brian Schnelle who 
will graduate from college on Saturday at the age of 30.
   Brian had a rough start in life and has overcome many obstacles. 
Born in Modesto, California, in a hospital serving a mostly indigent 
population, baby Brian and his biological mother somehow made it to a 
Truckstops of America near downtown Nashville. There his mother got 
into an altercation and was jailed and Brian ended up in foster care. 
After months of custody battles, his mother left town and the Schnelle 
family of Nashville was free to adopt the three-year-old on July 3, 
1991.
   As a toddler, Brian loved books, cars, and trains and every Kidsongs 
video on the market. His new family took him to the library, read him 
books and took him where he could see trains, planes and 18-wheelers. 
But it was clear Brian had health issues, including needing breathing 
treatments for asthma, and he was labelled as having ADD, ADHD and 
finally Asperger's Syndrome. Brian was verbal but lacked many of the 
social skills of kids his age. School was not easy, but Brian's 
eventual academic success came about when he began attending Genesis 
Academy which could meet his special needs. Brian graduated with a 
regular high school diploma after taking the Tennessee Gateway Test 
three times. It was then he announced he wanted to go to college and 
major in sports management. Brian had always been an avid fan of 
University of Tennessee sports--especially women's basketball, women's 
volleyball and women's softball.
   Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville was the best choice for 
Brian to pursue his dream of getting a college degree. The University 
has recognized his efforts by creating a special award, the Brian 
Schnelle Perseverance Award, which will be presented annually to future 
persistent students. It took 12 years, but Brian graduates with a 
Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management--with honors--on 
Saturday.
   I want to congratulate Brian and the entire Schnelle family, 
including his sister, my legislative assistant Alex Schnelle, for this 
major accomplishment, and wish them all a bright future.

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