[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17149-17150]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING CORINA VILLARAIGOSA, THE FIRST LADY OF THE CITY OF LOS 
                                ANGELES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 22, 2005

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary woman, Corina Villaraigosa, the First Lady of the City of 
Los Angeles.
  Corina is a working mother whose proven ability to balance a 
successful career while never losing sight of her first priority--her 
family--has made her a role for model for countless Latinas and other 
women. Corina is a very talented and giving person whose love for her 
children and her students has no boundaries.
  For nearly 20 years, Corina Villaraigosa has extended her love for 
children beyond her home and into the schools of the Montebello Unified 
School District. Thousands of young Californians, many of them English 
language learners, have been fortunate enough to call Mrs. Villaraigosa 
their teacher. Whether at home or in the classroom Corina creates an 
enriched environment that enables children to embrace the gift of 
learning and to become productive members of our society. She 
understands that education is the great equalizer for the Latino 
community and all communities. For Corina, teaching is truly a 
vocation, a calling to help young people--our Nation's greatest 
treasure.
  Corina's strong sense of civic duty was learned at an early from her 
beloved parents. As a mother, a teacher and now as the First Lady of 
Los Angeles, Corina has always served her community with grace and 
distinction. The residents of Los Angeles are proud to call Corina 
Villaraigosa their First Lady.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Mrs. Corina 
Villaraigosa for her selfless and extraordinary dedication to her 
family and community. She is a role model for future generations of 
Mexican-American women and all women, and I am honored to recognize her 
today.

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