[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING ALISHA YOUNG, YOUTHBUILD LEADER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 10, 2009

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, today I wish to recognize a dedicated and 
committed young woman in West Virginia, Alisha Young. Ms. Young, a 
native of Montgomery, West Virginia, has overcome steep odds to gain an 
education and has tirelessly dedicated herself to the betterment of 
southern West Virginia and her neighbors.
  Despite hardship early on, Ms. Young worked part-time in her local 
community to help her mother provide for their family and got herself 
through high school and into college. After a series of unfortunate 
choices, Alisha found herself back at home and joined YouthBuild, a 
youth and community development program which addresses low-income 
community challenges, including housing, education, employment, crime 
prevention, and leadership development.
  Ms. Young speaks passionately about her work with YouthBuild. In a 
recent editorial in The Charleston Gazette, she highlighted the 
opportunity that participants have to obtain their GEDs or high school 
diplomas while learning career- and leadership-skills and earning money 
to build affordable homes for homeless and underprivileged families.
  Now a self-proclaimed YouthBuild leader, Alisha has persevered and 
hopes to return to her education in the near future. She is currently 
serving in the AmeriCorps VISTA program and working with the YouthBuild 
USA Young Leaders Council.
  It is from Alisha Young's example that I hope we can all learn. Her 
enthusiasm for her work and YouthBuild are a testament to the strong 
and compassionate spirit of volunteerism in West Virginia and America.
  As citizens of this great Nation, it is our duty to help the less 
fortunate using our strengths and talents to help those in need, and to 
inspire those who are lost. Today, I am proud to recognize her hard 
work and determination and congratulate Ms. Young for her commitment to 
personifying the change she hopes to see in the world through her work.

                          ____________________