Sam Johnson

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to join with the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce in celebrating 40 years of service to the business community of North Texas. Since the Chamber's founding, its stated purpose has been to ``advance the general welfare and prosperity of the city [. . .] so that its citizens and all areas of its business community shall prosper.'' I would venture to say that this goal has been met, time and again, in impressive fashion. Allen was officially incorporated as a town in the State of Texas back in 1953. Since that day, it has grown from a small community of 400 to a bustling metropolitan suburb of nearly 90,000 citizens. The business climate of the city has matched the growth, transitioning from mom and pop shops to corporate headquarters and state of the art shopping centers--all while maintaining a strong sense of community. In fact, Allen has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the top 20 places in America to live and by Forbes as one of the top 25 places to relocate a business. These impressive designations not only attest to a friendly business environment, but to the great quality of life the city's residents enjoy. It's leadership from folks in city government, economic development groups, and the organization we honor today--the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce--that has built this city into a shining example of Hometown USA. To the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce, a business advocate at its best, congratulations on an outstanding 40 years, and best wishes for the years to come. God bless you. God bless America. God bless Texas. I salute you.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, you know, since this President has taken office, we have had the failed stimulus, omnibus, TARP II, Government Motors, the government takeover of health care. Well, the buck stops here. Literally, House Republicans refuse to give the spender-in-chief a blank check to pay for his reckless ways. If the President even wants to think about moving forward with the debt limit increase, he needs to know that Americans want Congress to drastically cut spending. Across the Nation, people have cut back and stretched their hard- earned dollars in order to make it through these tough times. The government must do the same. We're facing a debt crisis because Washington spends too much and wastes too much. Raising the debt limit without a deep spending cut amounts to a Barack Obama big-government bailout. Enough is enough. Stop the Obama bailout now.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately this week I was unable to participate in several votes. Had I been here I would have voted the following way: H.R. 1213--Repeal mandatory funding provided to States in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to establish American Health Benefit Exchanges--AYE H.R. 1214--Repeal mandatory funding for school-based health center construction--AYE H.R. 3--No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act--AYE H.R. 1230--Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act--AYE

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with great privilege that I welcome my dear friend Dr. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, one of the Nation's largest, most dynamic congregations, as our guest chaplain for today's opening prayer. The mission at Prestonwood Baptist is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to as many people as possible and to develop them in Christian living using the most effective means to impact the world, making a positive difference in this generation. Pastor Graham is an anointed and amazing speaker, accomplished author, community servant and bold leader who truly walks by faith. It is an honor to have him here in the people's House blessing our Nation's business and government leaders in Jesus' precious name. Thank you, Pastor Graham, for all you do as a true servant of the Lord. God bless you and I salute you.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: I serve as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 235 in Plano, Texas. On December 27th through December 31st, I volunteered at Camp Preston Hunt, a Boy Scout winter camp held in Texarkana, Arkansas. I was one of four adults supervising sixteen scouts from my troop. Before we left for camp, I taught the younger scouts how to pack for the week. During the week, one of my duties was to make sure our cabin was neat and organized. I also had to make sure that all scouts attended their merit badge classes. Each morning I was responsible to make sure that they all were dressed and ready for the flag raising ceremony. I taught two different hour long classes fulfilling the requirements and lessons necessary to fulfill the emergency preparedness merit badge. During free time I assisted the scouts with ``homework'' that was assigned to them in their various merit badge classes. One of my challenges was to keep the scouts busy during their free time. In order to be an Assistant Scoutmaster I had to complete a course in Youth Protection. The course is designed to spot abuse and to help protect adults who assist in scouting, to protect them from being accused of any misdeeds. --Brandon Ross

Mr. SAM JOHNSON

Mr. SAM JOHNSON. of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For my CYAC project, I volunteered at two places around my TAMS community: the TAMS Tournament and Calhoun Middle School. Through my volunteering for TAMS Tournament, I learned a great deal about the level of responsibility and coordination that is required to run a large event. I donated 9 hours of time to proctor, run, grade, and guide at the event. I met many new people from across the state, and proudly represented my community. Through my volunteering experience at Calhoun Middle School, I learned a great deal about people who do not live under such fortunate circumstances as I have been blessed with. I got the opportunity to meet and work with children who come from rougher areas, and to help these children grow and provide a good example for their future. I also got to give the teachers at Calhoun a hand in their administrative activities. I learned to appreciate my own economical safety, and the lifestyle that that safety implies. These volunteering experiences have helped me become a more active and aware member of my community. I found them both instructive and thoroughly enjoyable. --Mitchell Powell

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H. W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work. I salute you. A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For the CYAC in the Community Service Project, I participated in 3 separate projects for a total of 13 hours. My first project was on Thanksgiving morning for 6 hours. My brother, dad, and I arrived at the Meals on Wheels center at 7:00 a.m. We packed and distributed coolers of food. For the leftover coolers, my dad and I drove a route and delivered them. My next service project was Adopt-A-Family at Jesuit. My family was assigned an underprivileged family to buy Christmas gifts for and we were asked to wrap them. The family we were assigned was 6 people total and it was our job to help them out and buy gifts off their Christmas lists to make their holiday speciaL Buying the gifts took weeks but once they were all collected, we met at Jesuit and wrapped all of the gifts. My last service project was for the Notre Dame School of Dallas, a school for kids with mental disabilities and/or social disorders. Jesuit hosted a dance for them and I helped set up, dance, then clean up for 3 hours. It was great to see the smiles on the faces of the people I helped out and I had fun doing my service projects. --Kaitlyn Hebig

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: Volunteering in my community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Each event provided me with a unique life experience and has added to my sense of community. One of the events I volunteered at was Matthews Elementary School's Fall Carnival. Seeing the interactions between the families and friends was amazing and brought back memories from when I was that age. I also volunteered at Huffman Elementary School's Math Night where I supervised math oriented games. Another place I earned service hours was at Mustang Creek Nursing Home, where I played bingo and talked with the residents. I have sincerely enjoyed the time I have spent at Mustang Creek and I plan on continuing to visit the residents there. One of the longest events I have volunteered in was at my church's aide station in Dallas's Whiterock marathon. I spent six and a half hours helping set up and run the station. These volunteering experiences have changed my perspective and made me feel like a greater part of my community. In the future I plan on continuing to volunteer in my community and help other people. --Samantha Todd

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For my mandatory service project, ``CYAC in the Community,'' I had the distinct privilege of serving my community both physically and intellectually. Specifically, I, on behalf of the Frisco Blackbird Squadron of The Civil Air Patrol, was a road guard for Frisco's annual Gary Burns Fun Run as well as a tutor for many of my fellow peers. My intellectual service presented itself in the form of tutoring. During what was, for many, the most stressful time academically of the whole year, I was repeatedly asked to help the stuggling with certain tough concepts. I gladly agreed and spent time that I could have used to study for my tests in order to prepare them. My physical service was given in the name of the entire community in the form of the City of Frisco's 11th Annual Gary Burns Fun Run. By setting up barriers, managing the obstruction-free race route, and controlling the restless spectators, I was able to contribute to Frisco's biggest event and one of the nation's largest ``fun runs.'' Additionally, I learned that the nature of servant leadership necessitates actively looking for needs in the community or in an individual. --Sean Whitney

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For my volunteer work, I went to Truett Elementary School on three occasions. During my time there, I got to work with underprivileged kids in their after-school program, because many of the children have working parents who cannot pick them up from school until 2 hours after the school day ends. Depending on the day and time, I would help with homework for the day, do arts and crafts, and play with the kids on the playground. Each time, I made friends with the kids and helped them in some way or another, whether it was walking with them to the bathroom or teaching them how to do their math homework. Much of the afterschool program is run by volunteers, and without all of us the teachers would not be able to have as many activities for the children or be able to control all of them. This experience showed me how well I had it as a child, as well as how young children in our community need people to look up to and help them. I plan on going back to Truett at least once a week if I can, and continuing to help all of the children with their work. --Jill Waller

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010- 2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: Entering the North Texas Food Bank, I expected to find a small operation of a few dedicated volunteers working tirelessly towards helping as many people as they could. Yet this was not the case, as the facility that I arrived at was a massive testament to the human capacity for compassion. Over 200 workers in a warehouse that rivaled the size of an industrial plant, completely dedicated to helping the citizens of North Texas. Considering a society is measured on how we treat our worst citizens, I would go as far as to say the people at the food bank are bringing America to an even higher standard. The NTFB provided over 40 million meals for the citizens of North Texas in 2010, and are aiming to hit 50 million by the end of this year. Had I only heard this number and not seen the facility, I would have called it far too ambitious. But from what I observed, we packed 21,155 pounds of usable food, creating a total of 16,227 meals, in under 5 hours. Thanks to the people at the North Texas Food Bank, I truly believe that we, as both Texans and Americans, are doing our best to help as many people as we can. --Ross Van de Kop

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: I assisted with an Eagle Scout project at the Heritage Farmstead in Plano, Texas. The project consisted of planting eight trees along a fence. This required digging holes about four feet deep and four feet wide. After placing the trees in the holes, we had to fill the holes back up with soil, then place mulch around each tree, and finally water the trees. I also played in the orchestra for the Christmas performance at the Custer Road Methodist Church. This allowed me to work with some of the professionals in our community. This opportunity allowed me to gain more experience as a musician, as well as contributing as a member of the orchestra for my church. I played in the King's Players for the Church on two different occasions. This gave me an opportunity to give back to my church. --Zachary Stubblefield

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: ``We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.'' This quote by Winston Churchill describes me and my life. Since the seventh grade, I have dedicated my time in volunteering for various organizations that bring the community together. As teenagers, there are times when we are all busy with homework or competition, but there is always a time where we have nothing scheduled. It's moments like these where I know that instead of watching television and being a couch potato, I could actually be helping my community. I have volunteered at numerous school events, programs held by the Salvation Army, as well as activities at retirement homes. Throughout my experiences with volunteering for these activities, I have learned how to speak with the different age groups, which has improved my communication skills greatly. I also learned how many teenagers take basic necessities for granted and that we should think of those less fortunate. There is nothing better than the feeling of giving back to the community, not in one way, but in many! There is no better feeling that knowing that I helped the community by dedicating my time. --Tina Sharma

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council year I participated in the Plano Teen Court program. This program deals with underage teenagers who have committed class ``C'' misdemeanor, whether it is a traffic violation, disturbance of class, assault, or possession of drug paraphernalia. To be able to participate in the role that I am honored enough to have been able to land, that is, the role of one of the most loved (or the most ill despised) people in the court room (chiefly, rotating between the prosecuting and defense attorney positions), I had to undergo a training session. The training was aimed at making me acquainted with the more simple aspects of the judicial system, with the proper way to carry myself in a court of law, and with oratory skills necessary for proper presentation of the circumstances. As a Teen Attorney I defended/prosecuted the defendants, in order to give them a punishment, consisting of simple court fees and community service. This community service, with specialized hour ranged being given for each offense. A panel of peers, teenagers who have volunteered their time to admonish a punishment that they feel is fair to the miscreants. --Anna Shapovalova

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010--2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: This year on CYAC we were required to have five hours of community service. Being a busy senior with a huge to do list, I wrote this off as yet another project and essay I was required to complete. Little did I know that I would be so impacted by my volunteering for CYAC. It started with me helping clean up the trash and mess at my school. Gross as it was, we made a difference at school by getting more people involved in cleaning up our campus and helping to prevent trash from being thrown everywhere so often. Then I decided to volunteer at Spring Creek Gardens, an assisted living home and memory care facility. I volunteered with the memory care patients, playing bingo, singing songs, helping a children's choir, reading, doing a bible study and mostly chatting with the patient's whom did not have many visitors because of their Alzheimer's disease. I was excited to see the growing smiles on their faces as I chatted and heard stories of their kids and their long lives. I decided to continue volunteering each Sunday and helping out as much as possible. Not only did this project help me to make a difference in my community, it made a difference in me as well. --Caitlyn Woolum

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: On the weekend of February 18-19th, I volunteered at the carnival at Shepard Elementary School. I spent time setting up the carnival, running the actual activities, and taking down all of the decorations. I had been to many school fairs when I was in elementary school, but I had never seen the behind-the-scenes action. Volunteering and working the carnival taught me to be more appreciative, as 1 learned of the efforts involved in running an event. The carnival benefited the community as children were allowed time to play with their families and enjoy time off school. As we finished up cleaning, I talked with many of the other volunteers and realized that many of them wished the carnival were not over. Many volunteers, including myself, enjoy spending their time helping others and having the satisfaction of bettering others' lives. More than two hundred volunteers were a part of the Shepard School Carnival, and I truly believe the carnival would have been impossible without their help. This experience taught me a valuable lesson in the importance of volunteering in the community, and I will definitely continue to serve my community to the best of my ability. --Calvin Tsay

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: I volunteered at Friday Nite Friends (FNF) located at the Custer Road United Methodist Church. Every other Friday, FNF provides nurses and volunteers to offer free childcare for special needs children and their siblings. As a volunteer, I was placed with a group of boy siblings to entertain and interact with for the evenings I volunteered. I would spend the evenings playing board games and watching movies with my group or playing tag or scooter races in the large rec room. By the end of the evenings, both the kids and the volunteers would be exhausted. When the parents came to pick up their families they would look so happy and refreshed. But they were always so happy to see their kids and be reunited with them. In some cases this program provides the only opportunity for many of the moms to have any time away from their families to do chores, run errands or just have a quiet moment for themselves. I have come to realize how important this program is to the special needs community. I feel very blessed for my own family and feel fortunate that I am able to help other families. --Grant Tollette

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USQ, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: I greeted the troops at DFW Airport. My schedule only allowed me to go on the weekends, but I took advantage of any plane coming into Dallas. I called the Welcome Home a Hero hotline and found out when the planes would arrive each day. In order to never miss the greeting, I would get to the appropriate terminal and wait there for sometimes up to an hour for the troops to come out. I will one day be one of those soldiers walking through those doors, and I seem to already appreciate the fact that there were so many people there. The administrators make sure the troops are directed towards different terminals or gates if they have connecting flights. Also they have people bring snacks and water which the troops seem to like for obvious reasons. This event only takes a few hours including driving, but every second is worth it when you see the smiles on their faces. They are so happy to be home and ready to see the relatives that they miss so deeply. God Bless those soldiers, God Bless America. --Michael Roberts

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: An average teenager might have spent 6 hours on a Saturday sleeping, playing infamous video games, or hanging with friends. I spent my 6 hours building a ramp through The Dallas Ramp Project. That morning and afternoon I learned how to construct a ramp so that a 96 year old woman, Lovey, could be freed from her home. I, a teenager, who could have been doing all the things listed above like a ``normal'' teenager, but I didn't. I decided to make a difference in someone else's life for the better. I learned how important and how valuable time really is. 6 hours to some is 3 movies. 6 hours to another person is giving back a person's freedom. I strive not to be a success but to be a value. I now have a better understanding of life. Not only did I build a ramp, I built relationships with my team members. I encourage you to do something with your 6 hours because you too are able; able to change the world, able to be a blessing to others, and able to make an impact. So the next time you have 6 hours what will you do? --Madeline Minchillo

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: I participated with my Boy Scout Troop in preparing over three hundred food boxes for the poor. We arrived at the headquarters of the ``Food for the Families'' around 8:30 in the morning. After re-arranging the boxes into three rows of seventy-five, we waited for the truck to deliver the food. Once the food arrived, we stacked it according to type. Vegetables of each type in their own category, hams in another, and so on. Once all the items were stacked, a team was created for each pile to distribute the food in the boxes. Each box received a set number of each food. Twelve extra boxes, or ``gleaning boxes'' as they were called, were filled with the extra food. As soon as all the boxes were filled, the doors were opened and the people were allowed in. Each person who signed up for a box was also given a yellow ticket. Those waiting in line outside presented their ticket and were admitted in. A worker then escorted the individual with a box on a cart out of the building. Once their box was filled, the individual and worker walked to their car or house and delivered the box. This process continued until all the boxes were distributed. It was a wonderful experience. --Joshua Mott

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For my CYAC community service project, I volunteered as an attorney at the Collin County Teen Court, providing 30 hours of service between October 2010 and January 2011. The mission of Teen Court is to teach first-time juvenile misdemeanor offenders a lesson by sentencing the defendants with service hours and jury duty. The jury at Teen Court hears the testimony of the defendants and the arguments of the attorneys in order to come to a decision. A judge presides over the court proceeding and makes the court session formal and official. Teen Court is vital to the lives of young people in the Collin County community. Not only do the defendants in Teen Court begin to strive for better character; the jury members that hear the testimony of the defendants make sound changes in their own lives also. Through my work at Teen Court I have helped the teens who have made poor judgment. My job as an attorney has been crucial to bring the facts of the cases to the jury so that they can deliver fair verdicts. In addition, my experience in the Teen Court has inspired me to consider law as a potential career choice. --Grant Powell

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC, from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: As a representative for Sam Johnson's CYAC of the 2010-2011 year I decided to volunteer in my community by participating with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is a global, non-profit organization that seeks to shelter the homeless and poor by building comfortable homes with the help of volunteers from the surrounding community. I volunteered several hours from what would have been just another ``lazy'' Saturday afternoon to go to Wylie in an effort to help the organization with building a home. The organizers were very friendly and helpful in pointing me in the right direction and very clear and concise on instructions for the work that I would be tasked with. I found a hands-on approach to be the best way to contribute to my community and learned a lot from one evening with fellow charity workers. I was able to make a difference in someone's life by helping build shelter and contributing to society. I learned that community service is an overlooked part of life that when performed can cause a person to feel good in a way that can't be accomplished by common means. I look forward to working with Habit for Humanity again in the future. --Eric Parker

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: For the past three months. I have been volunteering my time weekly at the local elementary school by my house, Faith Lutheran. I am a volunteer basketball coach for a group of about eleven 5th and 6th graders who attend the school. We have a couple of games each week and have practices every Saturday morning at the school. The group of kids is very inexperienced as a whole so our practices are very important. We practice dribbling, passing, team building, team plays, and shooting for fun at the end. The practices were highly successful as I managed to teach the guys 8 plays total and everyone improved their skills individually as well over the year. The weekly games were always a fun and frustrating experience as I tried to coach a team to win as well as making it a fun learning experience for the kids. In the end all the hard work paid off as the boys had the first-ever undefeated season for the school and won the tournament at the end of the season. I can tell the kids learned a lot throughout the season, and I know I learned how rewarding an experience it can be to teach young children and watch them learn and grow. --Zack Palisch

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010--2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work. I salute you. A copy of each submitted student summary follows: Beginning last semester, one of my best friends and I started visiting Frankford Middle School to partake in their Friday Night Academy event, where high school volunteers such as ourselves tutor younger students. We made a habit of going to many of these sessions to help several students with assignments and homework that they had missed or fallen behind on. I continued to incorporate this as a part of my service project for CYAC. As I have volunteered at my old school over these past few months, I have come to realize that it is extremely important for us to give back to the generations behind us and provide them with an even better education than we had received before them. If younger students do not fully comprehend their math or other lessons before reaching high school, chances are they will be less inclined to do as well as those with a more solid educational foundation, something that every good student deserves. I hope that I have been able to help teach or reinforce some of those concepts with the students I have spent time working with at Frankford, and that I will continue to do so to help them with and prepare them for high school and the rest of their academic career. --Zach Ralstin

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to inform the Members of the United States House of Representatives that the students of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council, CYAC from the Third District of Texas have completed a total of 500 community service hours, fulfilling and far-surpassing the requirements of their assigned CYAC in the Community service project. This year 46 students from public, private, and home schools in grades 10 through 12 made their voices heard by joining CYAC. As the Third District's young ambassadors to Congress, these bright high school students met with me on a quarterly basis to discuss current events and public policy. These impressive young people recognize an important truth: the heart of public service is found when giving back to the community. CYAC students volunteered their time and talents with over 30 organizations including Adopt-A-Highway, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Teen Court, and the USO, to name a few. As one student shared, ``CYAC in the Community has allowed me to realize my calling to serve those in the U.S. Armed Forces.'' I am beyond thrilled that CYAC has helped students unleash their full potential and chase their dreams. President George H.W. Bush once said, ``A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens--citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.'' With this statement as a benchmark, I am proud to congratulate the members of the 2010-2011 Congressional Youth Advisory Council for showing themselves to be outstanding young citizens of this nation. It is my privilege to submit summaries of their work to the Congressional Record to be preserved for posterity and antiquity. To these young public servants, thank you, and keep up the great work! I salute you! A copy of each submitted student summary follows: Through community service and involvement, I have learned to view matters in a whole new perspective. When I look at my goals now of changing the world one step at a time, I know I am getting a step closer by taking part in service activities and events. Helping out is now part of who I am and my definition. It is definitely going to part of future in college as well as afterwards when earning a career. Gandhi once said to, ``be the change you wish to see in the world.'' I believe the world gets a positive change every time someone steps up to the plate to make a difference, whether is it through community service or starting a charity. It is through generous hands that we learn a better role of ourselves and gain a better knowledge of viewing matters in a whole new angle. As Student Council President, helping out becomes an everyday routine, and I am very proud to have the opportunity. As a member of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council, I am happy to take part in community involvement, and because of it I have learned a life lesson. I cannot forget. --Ginu Scaria