[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 98 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H3688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATING LAHAINALUNA'S CLASS OF 2024

  (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I joined the graduation 
ceremony for the proud class of 2024 at Lahainaluna High School.
  For the 225 seniors and hundreds of family members, students, 
faculty, and alumni, this evening honored the resiliency of this 
community. From the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in freshman year to 
the tragic fires that struck the day before the start of senior year, 
this graduating class has been tested in so many ways, but they 
persisted. They made it. Now, these students will go off into the world 
to make their mark.
  The valedictory speaker, M. Jee Abara, started his speech by ripping 
it up. Life is uncertain, he said. These words hit close to home for a 
community all too familiar with uncertainty.
  Abara will now study disaster preparedness and emergency management 
at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu. What was a passion before the 
fires has only become a calling to give back to his hometown. It is a 
common theme for his entire class of brave, young students.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Lahainaluna's class of 2024. Their perseverance, courage, and strength 
give us all so much hope for Lahaina's recovery in the years to come.

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