[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a 
wonderful organization, the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship 
Program. As a former educator and Florida certified teacher with a 
doctorate in education from the University of Miami, I know first hand 
the importance of providing our children every opportunity to succeed. 
The Women of Tomorrow Program is a local lifeline for at-risk young 
women. This pioneering program pairs extremely accomplished 
professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in public 
high schools for a 4-year mentoring program.
  These mentoring women who could be judges, doctors, lawyers, indeed 
from all walks of life, they are all volunteers who are dedicated to 
showing teenage girls the possibilities that exist if they stay on the 
right track.
  The Women of Tomorrow Program gives students the hope and inspiration 
needed to be successful, productive, active adults. The volunteers 
build self-confidence, assist the girls in achieving academic success, 
and help students give back to their community in both a constructive 
and positive manner.
  Founded in 1997 by veteran TV journalist Jennifer Valoppi and 
Telemundo president Don Browne, Women of Tomorrow is an unrivaled 
positive and growing force within our south Florida community. Dozens 
of public high schools throughout south Florida have implemented the 
Women of Tomorrow Program. These schools allow over 2,000 young women 
to be helped by this program. And the high school graduation rate of 
students in the program is nearly 90 percent.
  The Women of Tomorrow Program is inspiring at-risk young women to 
achieve their fullest potential through a strong education. And since 
2000, the Women of Tomorrow project has presented $2.3 million in 
scholarship value to over 800 graduates of their program for college. 
The support offered by the volunteers of Women of Tomorrow give these 
young women the confidence to pursue a college degree, to realize that 
they can achieve their goals.
  The incredible impact this program has had on south Florida in 
helping countless troubled youth achieve success is truly phenomenal. 
It is because of the commitment of dedicated volunteers, mentors, and 
staff at Women of Tomorrow that this innovative program has been such 
an immense success.
  As a proud grandmother of a beautiful baby girl, I know our girls 
deserve a program like Women of Tomorrow. I look forward to hearing 
more about all of the future successes of each young woman that is 
involved in Women of Tomorrow, and congratulate everyone involved for 
their everyday victory for our children.
  I include for the Record the wonderful board of directors that guides 
the Women of Tomorrow Program.
  Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to submit for the Record the 
board of directors for the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship 
Program: Jennifer Valoppi, Television Journalist & Author, Founder & 
President; Don Browne, President, Telemundo Network, Co-Founder & Vice 
President; The Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State 
Attorney, Founding Mentor & Co-Vice President; Betty Amos, President, 
The Abkey Companies, Founding Mentor, Board Member & Treasurer; Judge 
Judith Kreeger, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Founding Mentor & 
Secretary; Jamie Byington, Tax Partner, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, 
L.L.P., Board Member; Donna Feldman, CPA, PA, Mentor & Board Member; 
Marisa Toccin, President, Linea Luxe Lifestyle, Board Member; Lisa 
Stewart Hughes, Vice President, Compliance, Telemundo/NBC Universal, 
Board Member; Dr. Diane Walder, MD, PA, Founding Mentor & Board Member.

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