[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16260]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                        THE GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY

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                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 2003

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to read the essay of Laura 
Mendoza, a member of the Valley Center Teenage Republican Club.
       Like every Friday morning, my mother had snuggled into bed 
     with me; soon I was to get up and go to school. Only, on this 
     morning, I was quite lazy and pleaded with my mom so that she 
     would allow me to stay home. Like any other day she simply 
     gave me a ``no.'' It had been worth a shot! As we laid in bed 
     she said to me, ``Laura, you must strive for your goals and 
     never allow anyone to prohibit you from following them. Take 
     advantage of every moment and savor it, for you do not know 
     what may lie ahead.'' What could possibly make her think I 
     would understand her words at the age of eleven?
       Now, I'm seventeen and I understand what she was implying. 
     Throughout the years I have learned about my mother. My 
     mother was unable to go to school due to many reasons, none 
     that she could control. To begin with there wasn't a school 
     in sight for about 20 miles and she had no transportation to 
     get there. By the time there was a school that was somewhat 
     near she was eight and her father was very unsupportive. He 
     once told her not to worry about getting an education, 
     instead she was to stay home and help in the fields and with 
     the animals. ``Besides'' he said, ``you don't need to worry 
     about being educated because you're going to end up married 
     to some guy who will provide for you and your family. All you 
     need to worry about is taking care of the house and 
     children.''
       I can see that my mother was denied a natural part of life. 
     My mother was brought up in Mexico, where education is 
     nothing big. It's like a luxury; if you have the time, then 
     you can go to school; if not, you must stay home and attend 
     to the responsibilities there. Education in Mexico has not 
     changed much over the years, only four of my cousins go to 
     school, and they're all boys. The females in my family are 
     either married or living at home, helping out their parents.
       I appreciate the many sacrifices my parents have done for 
     my siblings and me. They have done everything possible and 
     impossible so that we can receive a good education and so 
     that one day we don't have to go through the same things and 
     our own families will succeed. My parents are my inspiration. 
     I know for a fact that if my parents had decided to stay in 
     Mexico, all that I have achieved would have been unrealized. 
     This is why education is so sacred to me. In my opinion, 
     education is the key to my goals and I know that my parents 
     weren't wrong when they saw something special in this land of 
     opportunity. That is why they decided to bring our family 
     here. I will not let my parents' sacrifice or the opportunity 
     given to me go to waste. I now understand my mother's words 
     and will live by them for the rest of my life.

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