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




                RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF DR. TOM RIVERA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Aguilar) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to follow the words of my 
good friend, Dr. Raul Ruiz, as we honor this towering figure from our 
region, the Inland Empire.
  For more than 50 years, Dr. Rivera served our community as an 
educator, administrator, and community leader. His passing in March was 
felt by all of us, and it left too large of a void for just one of us 
to fill.
  Back in 1985, our region suffered. More than half of the Latino 
students in our region didn't finish high school.
  While others ignored the problem, Dr. Tom rolled up his sleeves as an 
elected school board member, as a lifelong educator. He joined with 
community leaders to form the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program to 
help these students stay in school.

                              {time}  1030

  As a result, more than 99 percent of the students who go through this 
program have graduated high school. Ninety percent have gone to 
college. Dr. Tom's positive influence, his beliefs in what we could 
become if given the opportunity, helped shape doctors, lawyers, 
teachers, and, yes, a couple Members of Congress.
  Dr. Tom gave working-class kids like me a chance for a better life, 
for ourselves and for our family, and he taught us that no matter where 
life takes us, never lose sight of our heritage and our culture, and 
always give back to our community.
  It is a testament to his unwavering faith in our young people that 
Dr. Raul Ruiz and I are standing on the House floor today. I was proud 
to call Dr. Tom a mentor, a friend, and importantly, a constituent. He 
would always ask me how my grandmother was doing. He went to school on 
the south side of Colton with members of my family, and he always took 
the time to ask how they were doing, what they were up to, how he could 
help them.
  My thoughts go out to his wife, Dr. Lily Rivera, his children, and 
grandchildren.
  Madam Speaker, now it is our responsibility, those of us in roles of 
making policy, those of us in our communities who strive to make our 
community a better place, it is up to us to carry his legacy forward 
and to lift up the next generation of Latino leaders.

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