[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      IN HONOR OF MS. JAZMYN SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2001

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
to a young Mississippi student from my district who has achieved 
national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community, 
Jazmyn Smith of Greenville, Mississippi has just been named one of my 
state's top honorees in The 2001 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 
program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive student 
volunteers in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
  Ms. Smith is being recognized for the creation of a youth service 
club that gives teens a safe and healthy social outlet while providing 
valuable volunteer service to the community.
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, it's vital that 
we encourage and support the kind of selfless contribution this young 
citizen has made. People of all ages need to think more about how we, 
as individual citizens, can work together at the local level to ensure 
the health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. Young 
volunteers like Ms. Smith are inspiring examples to all of us, and are 
among our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought this young role model to our attention--The 
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by The Prudential 
Insurance Company of America in partnership with the National 
Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all 
youth volunteers that their contributions are critically important and 
highly valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their 
example. Over the past six years, the program has become the nation's 
largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, 
with nearly 100,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  Ms. Smith should be extremely proud to have been singled out from 
such a large group of dedicated volunteers. I heartily applaud Ms. 
Smith for her initiative in seeking to make her community a better 
place to live, and for the positive impact he has had on the lives of 
others. She has demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment 
that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and deserves our sincere 
admiration and respect. Her actions show that young Americans can--and 
do--play important roles in our communities, and that America's 
community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in saluting a great young role 
model, Ms. Jazmyn Smith.

                          ____________________