[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF JESSICA TURNER

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2023

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to recognize 
this year's Athletic Excellence Honoree at Mount Mercy Academy, Jessica 
Turner. For over a century, Mount Mercy Academy has been a beacon of 
light and an indispensable institution within our community. With a 
unique focus on academic excellence, women's leadership, and a 
commitment to building a just society, it is only proper to commend the 
alumni who have contributed to this much-deserved reputation.
  As a leader on and off the court, Jessica has been exemplary in her 
commitment to service. While playing Division I basketball at Niagara 
University, she served as Vice President of the Student Athletic 
Advisory Committee and was selected as an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports 
Scholar. The skills Jessica gained as a student-athlete were directly 
transferable to her role in the business world. She has consistently 
advanced as an employee at New Era Cap Company and was a critical force 
in the creation of New Era's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council 
(DEI). Jessica was the first person to hold the title of Director of 
DEI. Outside of work, she spends her time as a mentor with the Jackie 
Robinson Foundation Scholars and volunteers with the Festival of Trees, 
FeedMore WNY, the Special Olympics, Willie Hutch Jones Education and 
Sports programs, and the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation. Jessica's love 
of basketball was formed by her father, and it has shaped the person 
that is deserving of this award. Though athletics can be seen as an 
all-encompassing time commitment, Jessica has used her passion of 
sports as fuel to better the lives of others.
  The award recipients and honorees tonight for Mount Mercy Academy's 
22nd Annual Dinner have exceeded the already rigorous standard for the 
members within this community. Mount Mercy's values and commitment to 
service are steeped in decades of tradition, and Jessica Turner 
continues to live these values in her career, relationships, and most 
importantly, as a mother to Maya and Kellan.

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