[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11353]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE STEP AHEAD TO SUCCESS FARMWORKER YOUTH PROGRAM

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the Step Ahead to Success 
Farmworker Youth Program and congratulate the program's 2002 graduates. 
I want to especially commend the program's director, Maria Garza, and 
Miami-Dade County Manager Steve Shiver, whose tireless efforts have 
made this program a great success.
  Since its inception in late 2000, the program has provided 275 at-
risk young people from farmworker families with services to help 
develop their academic, social, and safety skills. In Miami-Dade, 50 
young people have received leadership training and FCAT tutoring and 
have participated in several community service activities.
  One amazing young man, Jose Rodriguez, came to the program with a 1.2 
grade point average and was behind credits for graduation. But the 
program helped Jose to improve his grades, receive a stipend for 
financial help, graduate on time; and he will soon begin to serve our 
country upon finishing the Marine Corps basic training on July 27.
  I want to thank all of the dedicated workers of the Farmworker Youth 
Program for their unending devotion to these children.

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