HR0248 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0248 LRB103 32082 ECR 61046 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize Danielle Cary of Collinsville on her recent accomplishments, including her outstanding devotion to personal development and helping others; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary is currently a sophomore at Collinsville High School; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary recently received the Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest level of congressional recognition available to civilian youth that requires participants to demonstrate a commitment to their personal growth and community development; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary registered for the Congressional Award program in October of 2020, taking on the tremendous responsibility to intentionally better herself and the lives of those around her at age 13 and a half, the youngest that a student can register for the program; her dedication to completing the program was made only more impressive given the widespread uncertainty caused by the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, To earn the Congressional Award Gold Medal, Danielle Cary actively participated in the program for a minimum 24 months, during which she completed a minimum 400 hours of voluntary public service, logged a minimum 200 hours of physical fitness, and completed a five-day expedition; and

WHEREAS, Through the Congressional Award program, Danielle Cary took the opportunity to engage in many different personal interests and community needs, including teaching herself how to play the ukulele, completing scuba diving certification, earning her second degree black belt in taekwondo, and volunteering with the Caseyville Public Library, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Girl Scouts; and

WHEREAS, For the five-day expedition requirement, Danielle Cary embraced the chance to explore environments and cultures vastly different from those she knew in Illinois by visiting the Caribbean nation of Curaçao; while there, she pursued hiking and scuba diving to familiarize herself with the landscape, history, and culture of the island and its people; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary was also recently named a Gold Award Girl Scout after successfully completing the Girl Scouts' Gold Award program through partnering with a local hospital and library to offer new sensory activities for pediatric therapy patients and sensory-friendly events for Collinsville residents; she previously completed the tasks necessary to be named a Bronze Award Girl Scout in 2012 and a Silver Award Girl Scout in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary has maintained her commitment to serving her community while still actively participating in school activities through involvement in multiple clubs and sports teams as well as excelling academically; and

WHEREAS, Danielle Cary is a true public servant, and she continues to serve her community through various projects in pursuit of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which requires that she complete an additional 100 service hours; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Danielle Cary on her recent accomplishments, thank her for her dedication to public service and the people of Illinois, and wish her success in her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Danielle Cary as an expression of our esteem and respect.