[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5191-5192]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 2010-2011 CONGRESSIONAL YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR 500 
      HOURS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY--ALEX ROBINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2011

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and 
privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of 
Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth 
Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed 
a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far surpassing 
the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service 
project.
  This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in 
grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the 
Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high 
school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current 
events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an 
important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back 
to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with 
over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, 
Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student 
shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to 
serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC 
has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their 
dreams.
  President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who 
can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do

[[Page 5192]]

not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as 
volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in 
civilization.''
  With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the 
members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for 
showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It 
is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional 
Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young 
public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you!
  A copy of each submitted student summary follows:

       Since I have been a competitive swimmer for over ten years, 
     I thought that it would be a good idea to volunteer at the 
     Plano Special Olympics Swim Team. Not only did I help these 
     kids with their swimming, I made friendships that mean the 
     world to the kids. I worked for about three months with them, 
     and most of my swimmers achieved their goal at the 
     championship meet, which was a gold medal. One swimmer was 
     constantly afraid of getting in the water, but I eventually 
     got him to conquer his fear and jump into the pool. Often, 
     especially at schools, the mentally challenged kids are 
     written off and no one pays attention to them, but that is 
     just wrong. These are some of the nicest people that you will 
     ever meet, and they are especially eager to learn. Not only 
     is this a great opportunity to make these kids better 
     swimmers, it is a chance to make these kids feel like they 
     fit in and it makes them feel very good about themselves. I 
     was very apprehensive about volunteering at first, but it was 
     one of the most rewarding decisions that I have ever made. 
     The Special Olympics is often short on volunteers, and I 
     really recommend volunteering.
     --Alex Robinson

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