January 2008
A Waipahu student begins
2008 with an experience of a lifetime
Dear Friend,
The arrival of the New Year brings with
it new challenges and experiences. For 16-year-old
Stephanie Diaz, a Waipahu High School junior, 2008
offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience in one of our
nation’s most unique and prestigious work-study
programs: The U.S. House of Representatives Page Program
in Washington, D.C. The program offers selected students
the opportunity to live in the House Page Residence Hall
on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., attend school at
the Library of Congress, and work full-time as support
staff in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is one of
several educational experiences my office can provide to
Hawaii’s students, as a part of a continuing effort to
open the doors of opportunity for our children.
Congressman Abercrombie
has appointed Stephanie Diaz to serve as a U.S. House
Page from January 27-June 6, 2008.
Selected House members are given the
opportunity to fill 72 Page positions for a semester or
summer session. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave me the
honor of making an appointment for the 2008 spring
semester. Following a month-long selection process that
evaluated and interviewed prospective candidates who had
to meet the Page Program's stringent academic
requirements, my selection is Stephanie Diaz.
Congressman Abercrombie
made an unannounced visit to Stephanie's history class
at Waipahu High School to inform her of her appointment
to the Page Program. Stephanie's parents, Ramone and
Christine Diaz, were invited by the Congressman to
attend the surprise announcement.
“I never thought I’d ever be there in
Washington, D.C. or working for the U.S. House of
Representatives,” says Diaz. “But now, I'm trying to
spend as much time as I can with family and friends
before I leave. And, I'm just trying to mentally prepare
myself for D.C.”
Diaz is filled with excitement and
anticipation. But what is she looking forward to the
most - outside of school and work? "Snow! I've never
seen snow," says Diaz. "And hopefully some sightseeing,
since I haven't been to D.C. or anywhere near the East
Coast."
You can visit my website’s video page
at http://www.house.gov/abercrombie and see my visit to Diaz’s history class where we
surprised her with the announcement of her selection.
Other opportunities for students
through my office include:
- Nominations to the U.S. Air Force
Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military
Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. High school juniors
planning for college next year are encouraged to
contact my Honolulu office anytime after April 1st to
begin the application process for the 2009-2010 school
year.
- Internships - available in both my
Honolulu and Washington offices - provide an excellent
hands-on way of learning about the legislative process
and government in general. Internships are usually
awarded to students in their junior year in
college.
- The Congressional Art Competition,
an annual event, will begin in February, with the top
winner and his/her art teacher earning a trip to
Washington, D.C. for the unveiling of all winning art
from contests in congressional districts across the
country.
You may learn more about these
opportunities by visiting my website.
These are just some of the ways my
office can help to enhance the education of our
children. In an increasingly complex, technological and
global economy, the keys to the future are in the
classroom. Our responsibility is to make sure that our
students have an open door to these and other
opportunities and access to the financial resources that
will help them to attain the education they'll need to
succeed. It is a goal I will continue to pursue in this
New Year and beyond.
Hauoli Makahiki Hou,
Neil Abercrombie
Member of Congress
