Ron Paul Quotes.com 2006 Ron Paul Chapter 98 Ron Paul Quotes.com: Tribute To Dr. Victor Rodriguez 13 November 2006 Home Page   Contents Congressional Record   Cached Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.

Tribute To Dr. Victor Rodriguez 13 November 2006 HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, November 13, 2006 2006 Ron Paul 98:1 Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor Dr. Victor Rodriguez, a native of Edna, Texas in my congressional district. Dr. Rodriguez’s achievements in, and dedication to, education are an inspiration to us all. As detailed in his autobiography, The Bell Ringer, Dr. Rodriguez developed endurance and perseverance at an early age when his third grade teacher assigned him the task of ringing the bell for the St. Agnes Catholic Church. 2006 Ron Paul 98:2 For nine years, Victor Rodriguez woke up at 4 a.m. and jogged two miles to the church to ring the bell before the 5 a.m. mass. While this was obviously a difficult responsibility for a child, Dr. Rodriguez later said that he “came to accept ringing that bell as an honor . . . whenever I was tired and didn’t feel like getting out of bed, I remembered my mom’s encouragement. She used to say that if you do something, do it to the very best of your ability.” 2006 Ron Paul 98:3 The importance of hard work, endurance, and dedication that Victor Rodriguez learned as a bell ringer stayed with him throughout his life. Dr. Rodriguez was a star athlete who set many records and won numerous trophies at Edna High School, Victoria College, and North Texas State University. After earning his Ph.d, Dr. Rodriguez began a successful career as a teacher and as a coach of several championship track teams. In his work as a teacher and coach, Dr. Rodriguez inspired his students to strive to achieve their goals and dreams. 2006 Ron Paul 98:4 During Dr. Rodriguez’s 12 years as superintendent of the San Antonio School District, the dropout rate was reduced from 50 percent to less than 10 percent. Applying the lessons in perseverance he learned as a young bell ringer, then superintendent-elect Dr. Rodriguez promised San Antonio School District’s kindergarten class that he would stay as superintendent as long as they were in school. Of course, Dr. Rodriguez kept that promise, not retiring until 1994 when the kindergartners of 1981 were seniors in high school. 2006 Ron Paul 98:5 During his tenure as superintendent, Dr. Rodriguez won numerous awards and honors, including an achiever award from the Alamo Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, representative from Texas in the 1989 National Superintendent of the Year Award Program sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators and the Service-Master Company, induction into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame; and honoree in Ford Motor Company’s Hispanic Salute recognizing San Antonio Hispanics for outstanding contributions to education and literacy. Executive Educator magazine twice named Dr. Rodriguez one of the Hundred Top School Executives in the nation. Just last month, Dr. Rodriguez was honored by his alma mater by being named a 2006 inductee into the University of North Texas’s Athletic Hall of Fame. 2006 Ron Paul 98:6 Dr. Rodriguez’s application of the lessons he learned, as a young church bell ringer should serve an example to all of us. It is a pleasure to offer my congratulations and thanks to Dr. Victor Rodriguez for all of his efforts to help Texas schoolchildren.

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