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Honoring St. Barnabas Catholic School in Chicago

02/08/2006

Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor: Sarah Bush, Laura Carroll, Eileen Cullina, Sara Kochanny, Meaghan McArdle, Alexandra Nine, Jessica Perazzolo, and Patrick Vogt, all students of St. Barnabas Catholic School in Chicago.  These students, competing against students from sixteen other schools, placed first in the Chicago Region of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition.  They will compete at the national level in Washington, DC from February 18-22. 

The National Engineers Future City Competition is a competition sponsored by Engineers Week, a consortium of major U.S. corporations, professional, and technical societies.  The consortium is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated engineering work force by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers, as well as promoting pre-college literacy in math and science.

The competition encourages 7th and 8th grade students to use problem solving skills, team-work, research and presentation skills, practical math and science applications, and computer skills to present their vision of a city of the future.  St. Barnabas Catholic School, an elementary school stressing hands on learning, has participated in the National Engineers Week Future City Competition for the last seven years.  Previous St. Barnabas teams have won the Chicago regional competition three times, the national championship in 2001, and finished fifth in 2004.  The team's current advisors include engineer mentor Timothy Cullina and teacher mentor Jeanne Conway.   

As a member of the House Science Committee and one of only eleven Members of Congress with an engineering degree, I am especially proud to recognize these young engineers.  Their interest in and commitment to math and science education is admirable and will help our country remain a global leader in science and engineering.

It is my honor to recognize these students and their mentors for these outstanding achievements.  Additionally, I commend St. Barnabas Catholic School for promoting the sound leaning atmosphere necessary to foster academic success.