Honoring Camille Schmidt

HONORING CAMILLE SCHMIDT

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and congratulate an Idaho student who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Camille Schmidt of Pocatello has been named one of the Nation's top youth volunteers by the 2004 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. This honor is conferred on only one high school student and one mid-level student in each State. I applaud Camille's efforts to improve her community.

Camille has spent the past 2 years working to restore windows in her school's library that were removed in the early 1980s. When Camille began attending Pocatello High School, she noticed 8-foot-tall indents in the school walls and realized they were once windows. She found yearbooks that contained pictures of the school before the windows were taken out, and was inspired to restore them. She received approval to begin working on the restoration from the superintendent, and met with an architect to discuss the project. So far, Camille has raised more than $10,000 of the needed $15,000 for the project. To raise the necessary funds, she has distributed brochures, spoken at class reunions and student assemblies, contacted the news media, and even obtained a grant. To date, four of the eight windows have been replaced. Next year, the student government and the National Honor Society will take over the project until all of the school's windows are restored.

Camille has demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment and accomplishment and deserves our admiration and respect. She has played an important role in her community and serves as an example to her peers. I join with her family and friends in honoring her commitment to the state of Idaho.