[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING JESSICA BELMARES-ORTEGA

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2013

  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to 
honor, Jessica Belmares-Ortega, an exceptional young New Mexican 
student. This summer, Jessica, a recent graduate of Albuquerque High 
School, was awarded a prestigious Ronald McDonald House HACER 
scholarship to attend the University of New Mexico. One of only four 
students in the nation to receive this scholarship, she plans to use 
her $100,000 award to study medicine so she can give back to her 
community and help the less fortunate in our state.
  A first-generation American who grew up in a Spanish-speaking 
environment, Jessica plans to use her bilingual skills to improve 
health care access and delivery in rural communities. As a volunteer at 
a local hospital, Jessica frequently saw Spanish-speaking families wait 
hours for a translator to arrive before getting a diagnosis or 
treatment. She believes that having more bilingual medical 
professionals will help mitigate this problem and improve the overall 
health of patients all over New Mexico.
  Education has always played an important role in the Belmares-Ortega 
home. Although Jessica's parents, who are originally from Mexico, did 
not attend college, they worked hard so that their children would have 
the opportunity to pursue their dreams. They enrolled Jessica and her 
two older siblings in United States of America preschool so they would 
learn English at a young age. They also closely tracked their 
children's progress to ensure they succeeded in school.
  Considering Jessica's academic achievements, strong leadership skills 
and dedication to her community, I am not surprised that the Ronald 
McDonald House chose to recognize her success with this scholarship. At 
Albuquerque High School, Jessica enrolled in the dual-language program, 
took advantage of numerous Advanced Placement and honors courses and 
participated in a gifted mentorship program. In college, she plans to 
maintain her busy schedule by enrolling in a medical laboratory program 
and working to advance her Spanish fluency skills.
  I'm honored to represent Jessica in the United States House of 
Representatives, and I wish her success in her college career and in 
all of her future endeavors.

                          ____________________