[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14535]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ALBERTO GONZALES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month 
by honoring a dedicated community leader from Nebraska's Second 
Congressional District with an inspirational story. Alberto ``Beto'' 
Gonzales' countless stories of overcoming adversity and selfless 
contribution to the youth of our Hispanic community, serve as a shining 
example and model for current and future generations.
  Mr. Gonzales grew up in the Hispanic neighborhoods of South Omaha, 
where his father worked in the thriving meat packing industry. His 
mother cared for him and his six brothers and sisters and was a 
positive influence in their lives. As a Christian, she also believed in 
the power of prayer in daily life. Unfortunately, Alberto fell into 
drugs, alcohol, and eventually depression and thoughts of suicide.
  By the time Beto was 11 years old he was already part of his first 
street gang and in 1977, spent five days in jail for a knife fight 
where he was defending himself against several male attackers. Had an 
observer not testified in his defense, he would have likely spent 30 
years or more in jail.
  At the age of 23, Alberto met a woman who would become one of his 
most influential mentors; Sister Joyce Englert with the Chicano 
Awareness Center in South Omaha. Through her efforts, Beto learned 
about Christ and was able to get off drugs permanently. His memories of 
his mother praying for him as a child helped him to make the positive 
life changes. As a result, Beto committed the rest of his life to 
helping young people overcome the obstacles and influences of living in 
poverty, as well as the intense peer pressure from gangs. His 
commitment was sealed in a tattoo on his arm of the scripture found in 
Psalms 23:4.
  Alberto struggled with academics and barely made it through high 
school, but Sister Joyce was an instrumental part in helping him 
overcome a learning disability, teaching him to read and write, and 
eventually convincing him to enroll at Metro Community College in 1983. 
He recalls being more scared to pick up a college book than a gun. 
Though Beto took longer than most to complete his Associates Degree in 
Chemical Dependency, his perseverance would pay off later in his 
professional career.
  As gang and drug activity exploded in South Omaha in the late '80s 
and 90s, so did the opportunities for Beto to help endangered youth in 
that community. While most who work in this field burn out after seven 
years, Alberto has served in this area for more than 32 years. Beto ran 
drug and alcohol treatment groups while doing extensive outreach with 
schools through the Chicano Awareness Center. After that, Alberto 
served as a National Crisis Hotline Counselor for Boystown and 
eventually became an Omaha Police Department School Liaison, and Gang 
Prevention and Intervention Specialist where he still works today. 
Today Beto also develops and implements outreach programs for at-risk 
youth as a Youth Counselor for the South Omaha Boys and Girls Club. 
Through all these efforts, Alberto Gonzales has touched and changed the 
lives of hundreds, if not thousands of youth in the Hispanic community.
  Mr. Gonzales' outstanding accomplishments have earned him several 
prestigious awards including the Friedman Award for Excellence in Youth 
Mentoring, Nebraska Hispanic Man of the Year Award, Induction into the 
Omaha South High School Alumni Hall of Fame, and many others. Alberto 
has taught us all that how you start out in life is not as important as 
how you finish. He has taught us we can never give up on the youth in 
our community, no matter the darkness of their current situation or 
their past.
  Alberto gives credit to God, his mother who always prayed for him, 
his mentor Sister Joyce, and many of the educators and professionals 
who encouraged him along the way. He believes that showing 
unconditional positive regard and spending quality time with at-risk 
children can make a positive difference. He may not save every kid he 
encounters, but he believes in a philosophy that says, ``If you plant a 
seed now, someone else might water and grow it later.''

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