HR0758 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0758 LRB104 21223 LAW 35811 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to promoting better politics and smarter government while preparing young people for careers in public service; and

WHEREAS, The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute provides internships that offer students real-world experience and knowledge in public service, as well as in their field of interest, and have been led by Dr. Linda Renee Baker as director for more than 10 years, providing mentorship, leadership, and guidance to students pursuing careers in public service; these internships, which include the Alexander Lane Internship, the Barb Brown Internship, the Gene Callahan Internship, the Latino Heritage Internship, the Social Work Internship, and the Vince Demuzio Internship, allow interns the opportunity to work closely with their placement offices to aid in research, office support, and programming; and

WHEREAS, The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute offers a variety of scholarships annually to support and recognize outstanding students, including the Barb Brown Memorial Scholarship, the David Yepsen Director's Award, the Edwin D. Phillips Debate Team Scholarship, the Jeanne Hurley Simon Memorial Scholarship, the Mike Lawrence Scholarship, and the Matt Baughman Scholarship; and

WHEREAS, The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute also pursues a number of initiatives each year, such as Women's Civic Day, an event that brings female students from Southern Illinois University Carbondale to the Illinois Capitol Building to promote the contributions of women legislators and public sector leaders and to encourage the continued development of women's leadership and involvement in public affairs; and

WHEREAS, Women's Civic Day serves to highlight the contributions of women to public service in Illinois and inspire future engagement by providing students with the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers, including legislators, public sector leaders, and community coordinators, during a one-day event typically held in the spring at the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Women's Civic Day is the inspiration behind the creation of the registered student organization Women in Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which has been championed by President Journey Short and Secretary Traseanda Jones, members of the 2025 Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Intern Class; and

WHEREAS, The success of the 2026 Women's Civic Day has only been made possible thanks to the leadership of Dr. Baker and the dedication of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute's current interns, including 2026 Alexander Lane Intern Kaitlynne Franklin, 2026 Gene Callahan Interns Penny Bordewick and Will Feurer, 2026 Barbara Brown Intern D'Nyia Williams, 2026 Social Work Intern Tatiana Castillo, and 2026 Celia Howard Fellow and Women in Public Policy and Civic Engagement's Student Engagement Liaison VanKevia Garner, each of whom played an integral role in organizing and supporting this year's program; and

WHEREAS, The 2026 Women's Civic Day welcomes and celebrates the participation of many outstanding Southern Illinois University Carbondale students, including Olivia Ortt, VanKevia Garner, Tatiana Castillo, Melanie Harriss, Macy Sanchez, Demetria Gooden, Briana Bolt, Journey Short, Amilia Estrada, Priyanka Subedi, Sanya Elsharkawy, Damiloa Esther, Mehak Saeed, Roxana Llontop, Sarah Akomoh, Aaliyah Russell, Tista Nazrul, Yahri Edmond, and Sheraya Bernard, each of whom demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, leadership, and public service; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare March 25, 2026 as Women's Civic Day in the State of Illinois to celebrate and promote the vital role of women in public service and encourage the development of future women leaders in public affairs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute as a symbol of our respect and esteem.