[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5697]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SISTER MARY JO MIKE

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN M. PALAZZO

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2015

  Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sister Mary Jo Mike, 
named 2015 Principal of the Year by the National Catholic Educational 
Association.
  Sr. Mary Jo, of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, has 
devoted more than 40 years to Catholic education and has led Nativity 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral Parish elementary school for the 
past 23 years, the longest serving principal in the Catholic Diocese of 
Biloxi.
  Sister Mary Jo soars beyond the call of duty, deeply involving 
herself in the life and ministry of her parish, school, local 
community, and the culture of the Gulf Coast, and encourages others to 
do the same. From their daily arrival to their departure, Sr. Mary Jo 
is dynamically present in the lives of her students' school setting. 
She inspires teachers to identify and nurture each student's strengths 
and to discover ways to help them overcome their challenges. Her 
ministry and leadership encompasses the healthy development of the 
whole student--mind, body, and soul.
  True to her calling, Sister Mary Jo seeks and claims opportunities to 
improve life for those around her. Under her leadership, Nativity BVM 
now offers a broad range of programs for students of any ability, even 
including a Robotics team and a Lego club. 
Clearly loved and highly respected by all, Sr. Mary Jo runs a tight 
ship in an environment of love, prayerfulness, justice, and peace. She 
is an example of always doing one's best and exceeding expectations in 
herself, her faculty, her students, and her community, believing that 
when children see their teachers and leaders doing their best, they, in 
turn, are inspired to do their best, too.
  I proudly congratulate Sister Mary Jo Mike as the 2015 NCEA Principal 
of the Year.

                          ____________________