Congratulating Congresswomen Frederica S. Wilson and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on their induction into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Hall of Fame.

Whereas Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will be inducted into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) Hall of Fame on Friday, November 21, 2014; Whereas Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s journey with Miami-Dade County Public Schools began at the age of 8, when her family arrived in South Florida after fleeing Cuba’s communist regime, and she attended Southside Elementary School in Little Havana, West Miami Junior High School, and Southwest High School, and then went on to earn an Associate of Arts Degree from Miami-Dade Community College, Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Education from Florida International University, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Miami; Whereas empowered by the quality of education she received from MDCPS, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen became a Florida certified teacher, and while serving as an educator, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen was inspired to find solutions to the many challenges facing her students and their families, and subsequently ran for office to continue to tackle the challenges impacting South Floridians; Whereas Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s legislative accomplishments include the creation of the Florida Prepaid College Program, which has helped send millions of Florida students to college, and she has also advocated for human rights around the world and worked to improve South Florida’s economy and create jobs; Whereas Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is the first Hispanic woman to serve in the Florida Legislature, the first Hispanic woman to serve in Congress, the first Cuban-American elected to Congress, and the first Hispanic to chair the prestigious Committee on Foreign Affairs; Whereas Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is happily married to the love of her life, Dexter Lehtinen, and is a proud mother, stepmother, and grandmother; Whereas Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson began her journey with MDCPS at Liberty City Elementary School, and she went on to attend D.A. Dorsey Junior High School and Miami Northwestern Senior High School, and then went on to earn a Bachelors of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Fisk University and a Masters of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Miami; Whereas Congresswoman Wilson found her calling while working as an educator for MDCPS, where she served as a teacher and assistant educational coordinator for Head Start, and later as Assistant Principal and Principal of Skyway Elementary School; Whereas while serving as Principal of Skyway Elementary School, Congresswoman Wilson became inspired to close the achievement gap faced by young black males of color, and, as a single mother with little disposable income, founded the then-500 Role Models of Excellence Project, quit her job, and ran for the Miami-Dade School Board with the single mission of ensuring educational equity for boys and men of color; Whereas with the support of her friends, family, and the South Florida community, the 500 Role Models has grown into the 5000 Roles Models of Excellence Project, and through this program, Congresswoman Wilson has helped thousands of young men of color to thrive in school, avert the school-to-prison pipeline, pursue higher education, access the American Dream, and become great husbands, fathers, and citizens, as since its inception, 5000 Role Models has awarded more than $10 million in college scholarships and currently operates in over 110 Miami-Dade County public schools, serving more than 8,000 young men; Whereas in addition to the iconic 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, Congresswoman Wilson’s achievements include a decade of outstanding service in the Florida Legislature, as a Representative and Senator, where she achieved a series of feats including working with Republican Governor Jeb Bush to remove the Confederate flag from the State Capitol, mandating HIV/AIDS testing for newly released prisoners, opposing high-stakes standardized testing, pushing for a ban of the term illegal alien Whereas since 2010, Congresswoman Wilson has represented Florida’s 24th Congressional District in Congress, where she has transcended partisanship to strengthen ladders of opportunity and provide a voice to the voiceless, and has secured more than $1 billion in Federal investment for her district, led bipartisan coalitions on jobs and ports, and been an advocate for freedom and justice worldwide; and Whereas Congresswoman Wilson is widowed and is the proud mother of 3 children, Nicole, Kesha, and Paul, and grandmother of 5 beautiful grandchildren: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) congratulates both Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on their induction into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Hall of Fame; and (2) commends Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for their outstanding service to our Nation.

Summary: Congratulates congresswomen Frederica S. Wilson and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on their induction into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Hall of Fame. Commends them for their outstanding service to our country.