[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LINSEY EBERT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 17, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today l rise to pay tribute to a beloved 
teacher, athlete, coach, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who 
inspired so many during her 45 years on earth, and continues to inspire 
and teach us even in death. Linsey Anne Ebert was born on September 12, 
1977 in Howell, Michigan. She grew up in Fowlerville with her parents, 
Cecelia and Randy, and her older sister, Tonya. Active in many sports 
from a young age, Linsey found her true passion on the volleyball 
court, playing on the varsity team as a high school freshman, earning 
all-state honors and eventually signing to play for the University of 
Michigan on a full scholarship.
  There, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 while 
racking up victories for the Wolverine volleyball team and helping lead 
them to the NCAA tournament. To this day, she holds numerous university 
records, and even played internationally for a brief time after 
graduation.
  As significant as her collegiate and athletic accomplishments were, 
they were just the beginning for Linsey, who went on to earn not one 
but two Master's degrees from the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 
along with her teaching certifications. Her abiding faith was evident 
in all she did, including her early years teaching at-risk youth in 
Chicago Public Schools. The tug of family brought her back to Michigan, 
and in 2012 she was hired to teach middle school science and social 
studies in Dansville Public Schools, and as a volleyball coach at 
Fowlerville High School.
  There are those who were born to teach, and Linsey was a prime 
example. She poured her heart into her lesson plans and her students 
and was passionate about implementing the most effective, research-
based strategies. She mentored thousands of students and always sought 
to ensure they knew they were seen, valued, and loved, while pushing 
them to become academically proficient. Linsey was the first to step up 
to lead an extracurricular activity or club, to chaperone a trip, or to 
fill a void, including learning a whole new curriculum when the 
district needed a high school biology teacher. She was passionate about 
understanding systemic racism, educational inequities, and reaching 
marginalized students. It's no surprise that in 2018, Linsey was chosen 
as the Dansville Teacher of the Year for her outstanding teaching and 
service to the school and community.
  I had the chance to meet Linsey a few years ago and hear firsthand 
her passionate belief in the power of education to change lives. She 
was active and engaged on every issue, and radiated love for her 
students and her craft.
  Every one of us can look back and identify a teacher who made a 
difference. For thousands of students, Linsey Ebert was exactly that. 
She was brilliant, accomplished, and humble, and her sudden death rips 
a hole in the fabric of this small community. But even in death, 
Linsey, a registered organ donor, continues to teach us what it means 
to be fully devoted to the service of others. Mr. Speaker, I send my 
condolences to her family, her friends, her former colleagues, and the 
entire Dansville community. Just as her lessons will live on in the 
people she loved, it is only fitting that her name and her story be 
forever remembered.

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