[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23212-23213]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO ERICKA DUNLAP, MISS AMERICA 2004

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FEENEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is really a delight to be here 
tonight on a very special occasion for those of us in Florida, 
especially central Florida. It is my pleasure to rise and pay tribute 
to an extraordinary young woman from Florida's 24th District, which I 
serve, Miss America 2004, Ericka Dunlap.
  Being crowned Miss America last Saturday was a historic moment for 
the State of Florida as Ericka was the first African American to win 
the Miss Florida pageant in 68 years. By the way, she is the second 
Floridian to be crowned Miss America in its storied 83-year history.

                              {time}  2030

  For Ericka, this achievement means a lot individually and personally; 
a $50,000 scholarship that will aid her in accomplishing her 
undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida and continue 
on to her dream of law school, and this will afford her the honor of a 
national platform to discuss a number of nationally important issues to 
her and all of us, including, as she puts it, cultural diversity and 
inclusiveness.
  While winning pageants is nothing new for Ericka, she has collected 
more

[[Page 23213]]

than 110 trophies and 60 crowns since she started competing at age 6, 
an amazing record, her off-the-runway accomplishments are equally as 
awesome and impressive. She is a Dean's Scholar, a recipient of both 
the National Coca-Cola Scholarship and the Metropolitan Urban League 
National Scholarship, and she is a beneficiary of UCF, University of 
Central Florida, McKnight Center of Excellence's Thurgood Marshall 
Achievers Society.
  Ericka, who is a former student senator with an interest in pursuing 
a career in public service or becoming a top-flight sports and 
entertainment attorney, is also a member of the prestigious UCF 
President's Leadership Council, whose members are selected for their 
excellence in leadership, scholarship and service to the University of 
Central Florida and the Orlando community.
  As our president of the University of Central Florida put it, ``At 
UCF our pride in Ericka began long before the Miss Florida and Miss 
America pageants. We were extremely proud of her academic success, her 
volunteering on campus and serving as a member of the President's 
Leadership Council. Being crowned as Miss America was the icing on the 
cake for us, since it was national recognition for the poised, caring 
and intellectual young woman we have come to know.''
  Mr. Speaker, just this last July I actually attended a ground-
breaking for Partnership II Building at the University of Central 
Florida Research Park, and I had the pleasure of meeting Ericka. At 
that time Ericka signed an autograph, Miss Florida, for my 11-year-old 
son Tommy. He was thrilled to receive it, and he recognized he was in 
the presence of a star right off the bat. She is pleasant, she is 
attractive, she is wonderfully friendly, she is brilliant, and she is 
motivated, and I was glad and honored to meet her myself.
  Mr. Speaker, finally, I expect in the year to follow our Nation will 
also come to know this exceptional young woman from Orlando. She plans 
to use her crown, as she puts it, as ``a symbolic propeller to take 
cultural diversity to new heights,'' and she continues to set new 
benchmarks for her own success, as well as our collective ability to 
treat all of our members of society with respect and dignity and love 
that is the bedrock of our Nation.
  Congratulations, Ericka. We are thrilled to have you. We are thrilled 
to have Miss America be from Florida and from central Florida 
especially.

                          ____________________