[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has 
recognized the special power that the arts have had in our Nation's 
classrooms.
  Today, I have the pleasure of recognizing my district's Art 
Competition winner, Sarah Fanucchi, who credits the arts for helping 
her overcome her learning challenges.
  From an early age, Sarah struggled with reading and math, but she 
excelled with a sketchbook and a pencil in hand. Once her teachers at 
Bakersfield's South High tapped into that talent, Sarah's life changed. 
She became excited about school, and her grades improved. Sarah's 
mother, Carrie, said, ``Art was and, I suspect, always will be her 
refuge. It was her place to begin to shine, her place in school to 
belong.'' Carrie and Sarah are more than mother and daughter; they are 
best friends.
  As I welcome her and her family to Washington this week, I applaud 
Sarah's artistic feat. More importantly, her perseverance through her 
challenges is what I find most impressive about this young lady. The 
art and life she has created is something any parent or teacher can and 
should be proud of as she continues to add value to our Nation's 
fabric.

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