[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 200 (Tuesday, December 5, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CONGRATULATING EYOLE MBONGO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOAQUIN CASTRO

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2023

  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. 
Eyole M. Mbongo of San Antonio, Texas, who received the Outstanding 
Congressional Staffer Award on December 1, 2023 from the Hispanic 
Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) in recognition of his 
exceptional dedication to advancing equity in education.
  In 2014, Mr. Mbongo joined my Congressional staff as an intern while 
completing his master's degree in public administration at the 
University of Texas, San Antonio. After his graduation, I hired him as 
a constituent services representative in my district office, where he 
worked to help residents of the 20th District of Texas access programs 
and services within the federal government. After almost two years in 
my district office, he joined my staff in Washington D.C., where he now 
serves as a senior legislative assistant.
  Over the course of his work with my office, Mr. Mbongo has led the 
fight to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding back 
to San Antonio schools and universities--helping them chart a path 
forward through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic and close 
racial and socioeconomic gaps in college attendance and completion.
  During the current session of Congress, Mr. Mbongo has been a 
critical advisor in the introduction of several bills and resolutions, 
including:
  The Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act (HERE Act), 
which would authorize a grant program to support partnerships between 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and school districts with high 
enrollment of Latino students to improve college readiness and degree 
attainment.
  The Advanced Coursework Equity Act, which would authorize a grant 
program to address equity gaps in enrollment and performance in 
advanced programs and courses.
  A resolution to designate the week beginning on September 11, 2023 as 
National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.
  There is no one more qualified or deserving of this award than Mr. 
Mbongo, and I am grateful to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and 
Universities for recognizing the profound impact of his work.
  I congratulate Mr. Mbongo--he makes San Antonio proud.

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