[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13076-13077]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ALICIA WALTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2004

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, on June 1, 14-year-old Alicia Walter delivered 
the Valedictorian address for the graduating class at St. Damian's 
Elementary School in Oak Forest, Illinois. This young lady demonstrates 
wisdom well beyond her years and I am pleased to share it with my 
colleagues.

  Valedictorian Address Presented by Alicia Walter to the St. Damian 
                    Elementary School Class of 2004

       Father Meany, Father Scanlan, Father Stuglik, Miss 
     Wesolowski, Mrs. Kane, Father McCarthy, Mrs. Nagle, Faculty, 
     Parents, and Fellow Classmates: Welcome. Tonight, we find 
     ourselves sitting in the midst of one of the most bittersweet 
     moments we have yet to endure. Thoughts of worry, sorrow, 
     stress and regret ricochet off the back of our eyelids, yet 
     we are compelled to celebrate. Chaos is persisting its way 
     through our veins, obliged only by our own perplexed hearts. 
     We all have our own emotional struggles tonight, and I hope 
     some of mine that I share relate to some of yours.
       I believe that one of the most empowering factors behind 
     our sadness lies in each and every one of our memories from 
     St. Damian. Too many spectacular moments have passed without 
     our realization, and now it is time to finally recognize some 
     of them. Times of substantial happiness and real warmth have 
     come out from within these doors. Picnics, school assemblies, 
     field trips, club meetings, and the comfortable safety of 
     general class time have generated stories we tell over and 
     over, and jokes that never cease to be funny.
       As we smile subconsciously about times that made us 
     appreciate the vibrant life that was given to us, we remember 
     the times that were not nearly as convenient as these. Times 
     where day after day we had to pick each other up and carry us 
     over to tomorrow. Times where the only way we could make it 
     right again was to give out genuine hugs and a vacant 
     shoulder. Each of us carries several chapters full of these 
     moments, in our personal book of life. Those chapters have 
     been

[[Page 13077]]

     written in stone, whether or not we would like it to be so, 
     but it is the very same chapters that exemplify the person we 
     are now. How we reacted to our troubles, how we grabbed the 
     hand of a friend temporarily fallen behind, and how we left 
     behind the charred remains of supposed impossibilities 
     extended the extremes of just how much we can bear.
       Our friends have provided a huge portion of backing 
     throughout our lives, but we would never be able to live 
     without the unseen but consistent encouragement from God. St. 
     Damian School has instilled a solid belief on basic 
     moralities, real love of humanity, and simply right and wrong 
     in all of its students. Basic religion fundamentals, such as 
     these, as well as faith in the Lord, have raised us up, 
     especially when our friends did not have the strength to. The 
     entire faculty here has demonstrated these Catholic 
     qualities, as they have walked through their own lives 
     practicing what they teach.
       St. Damian School has noticeably impacted the mold of what 
     we symbolize, so it is very apparent how much thanks we owe 
     to the school. Behind the school, though, we walk into our 
     homes, to find the other crucial components of our support 
     system. Yes, there we see the family members that are 
     constantly free to relieve us of whatever problems we are 
     facing. Most importantly, we see our parents. The producers. 
     The creators. The people that selected St. Damian School, 
     knowing the kind of education and religious teachings that 
     would come our way here. They chose wisely, and for that we 
     will be in eternal debt, but the first step we make in 
     repayment is a heartfelt ``Thank you.'' Sometimes it may seem 
     like a clear-cut, simple thanks is not enough, but I think 
     even a small compensation represents all of the aspects we do 
     not know how to express, all of the thoughts we are afraid to 
     admit.
       In just a short while, we will be holding, in our own 
     hands, the evidence of our completed years here at St. 
     Damian. This evidence will be the trial winner to bring us to 
     our next quest: high school. A valley of chances to recommit 
     to previous promises and resolutions, high school will 
     challenge us in ways we have never even faced before. We will 
     be presented with opportunities we never realized we could 
     have. Each of us will take up our own pick, and slowly begin 
     to etch the rest of our lives into the caves of the Earth's 
     past, present and future. Years from now, who knows how many 
     humans will look back at those caves and be inspired to carry 
     on their own lives in such a respectable manner? To the Class 
     of 2004: As a small portion of every one of your support 
     systems, I encourage you to accept the pandemonium of the 
     present, and to thrust your pick into stone before more 
     disarray throws itself upon us. I am incredibly proud of all 
     of us for absolutely everything we have achieved together, 
     and I am sure you are as well. I know the essential beliefs 
     we all hold will guarantee us a prosperous future, both 
     physically and spiritually. Finally, congratulations to one 
     and all, the distinguished St. Damian Class of 2004!

                          ____________________