[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3406-3407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT OF LAUREN ROJAS

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                          HON. JERRY McNERNEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 12, 2013

  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lauren Rojas, a 
seventh-grade student from Antioch, California, whose exceptional 
science experiment earned first place at the Association of Christian 
Schools International science fair for the Northern California region 
and gained the attention of the world.
  Lauren launched a weather balloon 18 miles above Earth to gather 
atmospheric data from the troposphere. Her experiment on the air we 
breathe represents the benefits of science, technology, engineering and 
math (STEM) education in our nation. She is a bright, dedicated young 
woman who is passionate about learning.

[[Page 3407]]

  Unfortunately, less than 25 percent of all STEM jobs are held by 
women. We must prioritize investments in STEM education to facilitate 
more opportunities for women to close this gap. Lauren Rojas and her 
science experiment are an example of what can be accomplished if we 
commit to this goal.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Lauren Rojas, her 
scientific achievement, and the upcoming generation of women 
scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.

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