[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 A TRIBUTE TO KEN THOMPSON RECIPIENT OF THE ST. MADELEINE SOPHIE AWARD

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                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 8, 2008

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Ken Thompson, a 
recipient of the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Award from Sacred 
Heart Schools. Established in the year 2000, the St. Madeleine Sophie 
Award honors individuals in the Sacred Heart community who have made a 
sustained and significant contribution to the Schools and embody the 
Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education. The individuals honored 
are selected by a committee comprised of the senior administrative team 
in conjunction with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and are honored 
at a reception and at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first all-school 
liturgy of the school year. The recipients will be VIP guests at 
various SHS events throughout the year and featured in their alumni 
magazine, The Heart of the Matter, for their commitment to the mission 
of Sacred Heart education.
  Ken Thompson was chosen along with three other distinguished 
recipients to be recognized with the Award for his dedication to the 
Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools. Mr. Thompson arrived at 
Sacred Heart Schools in January 1989 as a long-term substitute physical 
education instructor at St. Joseph's. An Honors graduate in mathematics 
from UC Berkeley, as well as a former Cal basketball star, he was hired 
the following year to serve as the Sacred Heart Prep Athletic Director 
and to coach basketball and teach math. Three years later, he moved 
full-time into the academic world as SHP Math Chair, where he markedly 
strengthened the department and demonstrated the leadership that would 
lead him to be named Dean of Faculty in 2002. Two years later, he 
became Academic Dean, a position he has filled with extraordinary 
intelligence, conscientiousness, and diplomacy. The classic Renaissance 
Man, Ken is also an actor and a singer. He currently directs and writes 
musical arrangements for two a cappella groups on campus, one for 
faculty men and one for both faculty and students. Since the winter of 
2005, he has waged a valiant war against leukemia, providing a model of 
courage and fortitude to the entire Sacred Heart community.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me 
in honoring Mr. Ken Thompson as he is recognized by the St. Madeleine 
Sophie Award. Through his many contributions to his family and friends 
and especially the Sacred Heart community, he has more than earned the 
St. Madeleine Sophie Award and through his special leadership and 
commitment to excellence, he has built a lasting legacy at Sacred Heart 
Schools and in the life of every student who comes through its 
distinguished halls. Our community and our country have been 
strengthened by Ken Thompson and it is a privilege to honor him and his 
work.

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