John Shaw: “today I rise to honor one of south Florida's most beloved treasures and one of our Nation's most outspoken advocates on…”

“today I rise to honor one of south Florida's most beloved treasures and one of our Nation's most outspoken advocates on behalf of higher education, Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, retiring President of Barry University. When Sister Jeanne became President in 1981, Barry University was a struggling college of 2,000 students. Since then, she has raised over $170 million and has transformed Barry into a thriving university, serving more than 8,500 students. But for the record, Sister Jeanne impacted much on my life and I want to recognize it here today. Mr. Speaker, Sister Jeanne and I are both lung cancer survivors. Having gone through diagnosis and treatment before me, sister Jeanne's model of resolve and optimism has brought me through some of my darkest days. Today I thank Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin for her many gifts to south Florida over the years and for her personal gift to me at my time of crisis. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to many wonderful things to come from Sister Jeanne as she moves to the next phase of her unending quest to make the world a smarter and more loving place for all of us.”