[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4195-H4196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DR. TOM RIVERA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.

[[Page H4196]]

  

  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of an 
inspiring leader, a great visionary, and my friend, Dr. Tom Rivera.
  Dr. Tom was born on September 22, 1939, in Colton, California. After 
graduating from Colton High School, he attended San Bernardino Valley 
College; California State University, Los Angeles; the University of 
California, Riverside; and eventually UCLA, where he earned his 
doctorate in education.
  It was at Cal State LA that he met the love of his life, Dr. Lily 
Rivera, who shared his passion for service. Together, they served in 
the Peace Corps in Colombia, South America, before marrying in 1965.
  In all that he did, Dr. Tom strived to inspire his students to 
achieve their dreams. As associate dean for undergraduate studies at 
CSU San Bernardino, he was a pillar of the community. He devoted 
himself to the empowerment of local youth and maintained leadership 
roles in organizations including the Kiwanis Club of Greater San 
Bernardino, LULAC, the Pure Land Foundation, and more.
  Dr. Tom was relentless in his advocacy. Even in the face of his own 
health challenges, he continued his pursuit of a better future where 
Hispanic youth could achieve their dreams.
  In 1984, just 3 years after contracting a virus that left him 
paralyzed, he helped found the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, 
joining forces with fellow educators, Susan Castro, Frank Acosta, Henry 
Vasquez, and Bill Allison.
  Dr. Tom founded the organization to address dropout rates among 
Hispanic students. His vision was to encourage youth to be proud of 
their roots and to make a difference in their communities.
  All these years later, that vision is fulfilled in the Inland Empire 
Future Leaders Program's tremendous success. It is fulfilled in the 
educators, lawyers, doctors, and countless other Inland Empire Future 
Leaders Program graduates who have gone on to achieve so many great 
things.
  It is fulfilled right here in the Halls of Congress with the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar), my good friend, as Democratic 
Caucus vice chair, and with me as chair of the Congressional Hispanic 
Caucus.
  I stand here because of Dr. Tom. Back in the early years, in 1986, I 
attended one of IEFLP's leadership trainings at Camp Seeley. That 
summer left a lasting mark on me and changed the course of my future.
  I learned the tools of leadership and returned home, motivated to 
serve the community. I became the first in Coachella Valley High School 
to be class president and ASB president all 4 years, and I learned to 
identify problems that needed to be addressed and to become a part of 
the solution.
  The experience strengthened my dream and my resolve to become a 
doctor and serve the community. You see, Dr. Tom's guidance fueled in 
me a passion for social justice, a passion I lived as a pre-med student 
organizer at UCLA.
  It is with Dr. Tom's encouragement that I applied to Harvard Medical 
School to earn my medical degree and graduate with my master's in 
public health and my master's in public policy from Harvard University.
  I am forever indebted to Dr. Tom for his unyielding devotion to my 
growth and the success of my peers. He was always there for us. He was 
always there to motivate us, to celebrate us, and to give us a smile 
when we needed it most.
  He gave us a family, a familia, in which we found reassurance and 
strength. All IEFLP graduates share a common bond because of him. To 
this day, when I meet a fellow Inland Empire Future Leaders Program 
graduate, we reminisce about his kindness and grace.

  We said good-bye to Dr. Tom just last month, in March 2022. However, 
we know that his legacy will live on in each and every one of us. We 
know that his memory will survive in the hearts of his beloved wife, 
Dr. Lily; his brother, Ray; his children, Evelyn, Patricia, and Tom; 
and all of his wonderful grandchildren.
  Together, we mourn his passing and celebrate his full life, knowing 
that he was a good man and an extraordinary public servant whose impact 
will be felt for generations to come.

                          ____________________