Political Quotes

On the recordJuly 27, 2022
it is not often one gets to experience and celebrate a living legend. But we have a chance today to do with a member of our Senate family. On February 27, 1984, an important part of the Senate community opened: the Senate Employees Child Care Center. There for that historic opening was a very special teacher, Ms. Phyllis Green. Over the ensuing nearly four decades, Phyllis masterfully impacted the lives of so many students that passed through center. She helped them get started in their young, tender lives with humor, warmth, devotion, skill, and of course, great patience. She is also something of a legend among the families on my staff whose children had the privilege of being taught by her--Wren, Rayn, Alex, Leo, Oliver, Avery, and Harry--so much so that even the ones who didn't have her for a teacher knew of her class. It is hard to imagine, but students that were in her early classes are now in their 40s. Some years ago, during her 30th anniversary at the center, a number of former students, now adults, came back to celebrate with her, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Think about how many of us had a teacher who made an impact in our lives and the rare opportunity to go back as an adult to offer warm thanks for those memories. What a gift to reflect upon so many lives impacted during one's career, so much so that Phyllis's colleagues said during her final week that ``the Legendary, the one and only Ms.…
Said by
Dick Durbin
Democratic · Illinois

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