[Page S2003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CARRIE WAHLQUIST

<bullet> Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I recognize Carrie Wahlquist, the 
Jefferson County Teacher of the Year, from Jefferson County K-12 School 
in Monticello, FL.
  Since she was a child, Carrie knew she wanted to work with children. 
While in high school, she volunteered at a preschool and knew she was 
destined to become a teacher. Her favorite part of teaching young 
students is being their first teacher and watching them grow.
  Carrie hopes her students find a love of learning in her classroom, 
leading them to develop confidence in their abilities and skills as 
readers and writers. She knows it may be challenging for them, which 
requires much patience to help them succeed.
  Carrie earned her associate in arts degree from Tallahassee Community 
College and her bachelor's in elementary education from Flagler 
College. She began her teaching career at Jefferson Elementary in 2012 
for 2 years before moving away to Massachusetts. She and her husband 
returned to North Florida in the Summer of 2022, where she teaches 
kindergarten.
  I offer my deepest gratitude and best wishes to Carrie for her 
commitment to her students. I look forward to hearing about her 
continued good work in the years to come.<bullet>

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