[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9418]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO SHAREF AL NAJJAR FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS ON 
 BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS AND 
                           THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is no exaggeration to say that the 
past several years have been among the most challenging in our nation's 
history. The collapse of the housing market, the turmoil on Wall Street 
and the ensuing financial crisis, the severe economic downturn of 2008 
which saw the loss of millions of middle-class jobs, and the ever 
present threat of terrorist attacks on our homeland are enough to make 
many question whether the American Dream is still attainable and to 
conclude that our best days are behind us.
  I do not share this view. The future of our country is bright and I 
firmly believe that our best days lay ahead. One of the reasons I am so 
optimistic that the 21st century will be known as the second ``American 
Century'' is the extraordinary quality, talent, commitment, and energy 
of the young people who will in time assume the responsibility of 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress we know well, perhaps better than 
most, how blessed our nation is to have in reserve such exceptional 
young men and women who will go on to become leaders in their local 
communities, states, and the nation in the areas of business, 
education, government, philanthropy, the arts and culture, and the 
military.
  We know this because we see them and benefit from their contributions 
every day. Many of them work for us in our offices as junior staff 
members, congressional fellows, or interns and they do amazing work for 
and on behalf of the constituents we are privileged to represent.
  I rise today to pay tribute and bid fond farewell to Sharef Al 
Najjar, an exceptional young man who has done incredible work in my 
office in service to my constituents in the Eighteenth Congressional 
District of Texas. Sharef, who joined my team in 2011, will be 
relocating to Atlanta, Georgia with his fiancee, Gillian Robinson, 
where they will both pursue graduate studies at Emory University's 
Goizueta Business School.
  From the moment he joined my staff, Sharef's talents and aptitude for 
logistics, information technology, project management, and 
administration were apparent for all to observe. These gifts, combined 
with Sharef's winning personality and cooperative spirit made him an 
invaluable teammate, mentor, and valued friend to his colleagues, who 
all will miss his good cheer and Zen but wish him and Gillian well in 
their future endeavors, which I am confident will include continued 
service in furtherance of the public interest.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe there is no higher calling than the call to 
serve a cause larger than ourselves. That is why I sought public 
office. I was inspired to serve by President Kennedy who said, ``Ask 
not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your 
country,'' and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said:
  ``Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. . . . You only 
need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.''
  By this measure, there are many other great young men and women who 
served as volunteers this year in my offices. They may toil in 
obscurity but their contributions to the constituents we serve are 
deeply appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, the energy, intelligence, and idealism of young people 
like Sharef Al Najjar, and those working in the offices of my 
colleagues, help keep our democracy vibrant. The insights, skills, and 
knowledge of the governmental process they gain from their experiences 
will last a lifetime and prove invaluable to them as they go about 
making their mark in this world.
  Because of persons like Sharef Al Najjar and Gillian Robinson the 
future of our country is bright and its best days lie ahead. I wish 
them well.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that such thoughtful committed young men 
and women like Sharef Al Najjar and Gillian Robinson can be found 
working in my office, those of my colleagues, and in every community in 
America. Their good works will keep America great, good, and forever 
young.

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