[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12814]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING MEGAN JESSE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor the memory of an 
exceptional young woman. Less than 2 months ago, the community of 
Michigan City, Indiana, celebrated when they heard the good news. Megan 
Jesse, one of their own, was selected as the Second District's first 
place winner in the Congressional Art Competition. Today, 
unfortunately, the same northern Indiana community mourns her sudden 
and tragic passing.
  Megan had just completed her junior year at Michigan City High School 
where she was a member of the Wolves ladies' soccer team. She was on 
her way to soccer camp with fellow teammate Katherine Stoll on Friday 
when they were involved in an automobile accident. Katherine was 
seriously injured, and Megan tragically lost her life.
  Just hours before, Megan and her parents were busy planning their 
visit to Washington, D.C. They were coming to Capitol Hill today to 
attend the Congressional Art Competition's dedication ceremonies. 
Photography was one of Megan's favorite hobbies, and it was her 
artistic photo project, ``Highlights,'' that was chosen from Indiana's 
Second District to hang here in the Capitol building.
  When I attended the awards ceremony at Indiana University South Bend, 
Megan talked about her love of art and her inspiration for her winning 
piece. At first she was going to portray a towering lighthouse on the 
shores of Lake Michigan. But when she got to the beach, something else 
caught her eye, a simple picturesque lifeguard tower looking out over 
the water. Megan photographed this scene instead, and she was able to 
capture it with striking effect.
  She said she chose the scene because of her love of the beach, and 
she wanted to express her feelings and emotions in a way that could be 
shared with others. I think it is truly fitting that her artwork will 
now hang in the United States Capitol where it can be enjoyed by 
thousands of visitors and passersby.
  Sadly, Megan and her family will not be here for the Congressional 
Art Competition's ribbon-cutting ceremony this week, but we will still 
celebrate the accomplishments of a gifted young woman whose life was 
cut short by tragedy. To thousands of visitors to our Nation's Capitol 
and to my colleagues in Congress, the next time you walk through the 
tunnel in the Capitol, stop to consider the picture from the Second 
District of Indiana, Megan Jesse's picture, and remember this part of 
her life that she so graciously shared with us.
  Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that 
we honor her life and her work and that our thoughts and prayers are 
with Megan's family at this very difficult time.

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