[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 A TRIBUTE TO DR. SUSAN C. PARKS, 29TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                             THE YEAR--2011

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2011

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by 
our nation's most distinguished women during the month of March.
  Today, I pay tribute to Dr. Susan C. Parks. As an educator and 
current Superintendent of the San Gabriel Unified School District, 
Susan has assisted in educating hundreds of students in the 29th 
Congressional District. A native Angelino, she spent her early years in 
Los Angeles City schools, where she proved herself to be a quick 
learner. Early on, Susan realized that many people held inherent 
beliefs that girls could not accomplish certain feats simply because 
they were girls. Determined to prove them wrong, Susan applied herself 
throughout high school and, as a result, received numerous scholarship 
offers. Thereafter, Dr. Parks decided to attend the University of 
Southern California (USC), where she was named a Trustee Scholar.
  At USC, Susan Parks witnessed the struggle of the civil rights 
movement, encouraging her desire to promote peace throughout the world. 
After the Watts riots, Susan volunteered to help a pre-school recover 
and found that she had the potential to change the world by teaching 
young children. After graduating from USC Magna Cum Laude, she began 
teaching in Los Angeles where she strived to one day become a principal 
and eventually superintendent. She became the principal at Walnut Grove 
Elementary School and, after the passage of Proposition 13, she 
provided leadership to begin Hollow Hills Elementary School, a magnet 
school that achieved tremendous success. Her experience proved 
invaluable as she went on to hold positions as a Deputy Superintendent 
in Simi Valley, the Superintendent of Schools in the Baldwin Park 
Unified School District, and, in 2006, as the Superintendent of the San 
Gabriel Unified School District.
  Today, Dr. Parks continues to work tirelessly for the students in San 
Gabriel schools and has taken large steps to give students in the 29th 
Congressional District the same opportunities for a superb education 
that she has enjoyed. She and her husband, Gary Parks, have three 
children and six grandchildren.
  I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman 
of California's 29th Congressional District, Dr. Susan C. Parks, for 
her service to the community and to our nation's children.

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