[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO KAREN KEARNEY

 Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I recognize Karen Kearney, the 
Alachua County Teacher of the Year from Buchholz High School in 
Gainesville, FL.
  Karen's lifelong passion has been to be a teacher. As a child, she 
would teach and pretend to grade the assignments of her stuffed 
animals. Today, she works to ensure her school is the best in Florida 
and instills her belief that students are happiest and strongest when 
engaged in a lifelong pursuit of learning.
  Karen's teaching philosophy relies on students having personal power 
and a positive outlook when it comes to fulfilling their dreams and 
reaching their full potential. She instills in her students that 
education is a major tool in that process and can be a helpful 
advantage when setting realistic dream expectations.
  Karen is an alumnus of Buchholz High School and spent 5 years working 
in chiropractic therapy before becoming a teacher. She earned her 
bachelor of science degree in nutrition and her doctor of chiropractic 
degree from Life University and her teaching certificate in broad field 
secondary science from the State University of West Georgia. In 
addition to her work in the classroom, she has been a teacher mentor 
since 2006 and has served as department chair since 2019.
  I extend my deepest gratitude and best wishes to Karen for her 
commitment to her students. I look forward to hearing about her 
continued good work in the years to come.

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