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[Page H3507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING 2019 ILLINOIS TEACHER OF THE YEAR SUSAN CONVERSE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for 5 minutes.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize
Mrs. Susan Converse, who was recently named the 2019 Illinois Teacher
of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Mrs. Converse teaches functional life skills at Edwardsville High
School in my district. She takes a personal interest in her students,
ensuring they have all the tools they need to succeed in the classroom
and beyond.
If you ask her, she will tell you that the work she does every day is
a dream come true.
As a functional life skills teacher, Mrs. Converse manages the Tiger
Den at Edwardsville High School. It is a coffee shop staffed and run by
students with disabilities.
Her students take the orders and work the register, teaching them
consumer service skills and equipping them with vocational training to
prepare them for life after they exit the school system.
As a father, I know the difference a teacher can make in the lives of
our kids, and Mrs. Converse certainly has made a profound impact on
each and every one of her students.
I am proud to recognize her today as one of the best educators in not
just the State of Illinois but the entire country.
I congratulate Susan. It was great to see her out here in Washington
last week, and I look forward to seeing her back home very soon.
Recognizing Audrey Ephraim Women's Center
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize
the Audrey Ephraim Women's Center in Carlinville, Illinois, and Pastor
Don and his wife, Deneane, who run this great facility.
As the southern Illinois site for Adult & Teen Challenge Illinois,
this center is a critical resource in providing effective care to women
who struggle with life-controlling problems.
Audrey Ephraim Women's Center is a residential program with a one-of-
a-kind approach to caring for women in need of treatment.
For some, this program is a last chance before serving time in jail.
For others, they come at their own will for help in seeking a road to
recovery.
When I visited the center, I spoke with three women who told me that,
upon their arrival, they had found a path to bettering their lives and
finding purpose. For so many women, this center is a safe haven. It is
a place for hope and a promise of a brighter tomorrow.
I am proud to represent facilities like the Audrey Ephraim Women's
Center that provide this life-changing care to women who are in their
most desperate times.
To all those at the center, I thank them for all they do. I am going
to continue to pray for each and every one of them.
I really want to thank my new friends--Katrina, Alicia, and Rhonda--
who were not just an inspiration to me and my team but are an
inspiration to this entire institution and our great country. I look
forward to seeing them again.
____________________
