SR0352 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0352 LRB104 13940 MST 26858 r

SENATE 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; Dr. Linda Renee Baker has served as the director of these internships for over 10 years, providing mentorship, leadership, and guidance to students pursuing careers in public service; these internships 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; interns 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, 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 to support and recognize outstanding students; and

WHEREAS, Women's Civic Day is one of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute's annual initiatives, bringing women students from Southern Illinois University 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, The success of the 2025 Women's Civic Day would not have been possible without the leadership of Dr. Linda Renee Baker and the dedication of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute's current interns and fellow, including Traseanda Jones (2025 Alexander Lane Intern), Journey Short (2025 Gene Callahan Intern), Brandon Varela (2025 Latino Heritage Intern), Rachel Wilson (2025 Social Work Intern), and Macy Sanchez (2025 Celia M. Howard Fellow), each of whom played an integral role in organizing and supporting this year's program; and

WHEREAS, The 2025 Women's Civic Day welcomed and celebrated the participation of outstanding Southern Illinois University students, including Lily Bishop, Cheyanne Bristol, Elisa Tatiana, Myla Croft, Jayme Ferris, Jessica Hardges, Amber Koteras, Jenny Leyva Castro, Autumn Montague, Nadia Ogiele, Justyce Petty, Macy Sanchez, RyAnn Clark, Hannah Connolly, Olivia Drew, Raylynn Elder, Audrey Gulley, and Lora Judge, each of whom demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, leadership, and public service; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare March 19, 2025 as Women's Civic Day 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.