| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 977 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Joan Karff's Women on the Way Up has enriched the |
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| 6 | 6 | | lives of many young residents of the Houston area; and |
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| 7 | 7 | | WHEREAS, In 2001, the innovative program was established at |
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| 8 | 8 | | Lamar High School by Joan Karff, longtime proprietor of Joan |
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| 9 | 9 | | Karff's New Dance Group; she chose 10 young women annually to mentor |
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| 10 | 10 | | and offered them exposure to culture, the arts, and current events; |
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| 11 | 11 | | before her death in 2016, she selected a successor to carry on her |
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| 12 | 12 | | work and further the mission of the organization; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, JKWOWU awards $1,000 scholarships and donates |
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| 14 | 14 | | laptops to promising Lamar High School graduates from underserved |
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| 15 | 15 | | backgrounds; recipients participate in a year-long program that |
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| 16 | 16 | | nurtures their interests in culture and the arts, and fosters the |
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| 17 | 17 | | development of skills to make wise choices; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Each week, the group of 10 seniors meets to explore |
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| 19 | 19 | | the worlds of art, dance, theater, and classical music; they enjoy |
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| 20 | 20 | | cultural activities and hear about a variety of careers from |
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| 21 | 21 | | accomplished professionals; the students are encouraged to follow |
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| 22 | 22 | | political and social matters by reading local newspapers, listening |
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| 23 | 23 | | to news reports, and researching sources of information; in |
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| 24 | 24 | | addition, they discuss the issues of the day and consider such |
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| 25 | 25 | | topics as self-esteem, money management, parenting, and |
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| 26 | 26 | | relationships; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Since its inception, the organization has provided |
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| 28 | 28 | | more than $220,000 in assistance with college expenses for students |
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| 29 | 29 | | headed to schools all across the country, from Prairie View A&M and |
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| 30 | 30 | | Baylor Universities to Bryn Mawr College and the University of |
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| 31 | 31 | | Southern California; a number of its alumnae have gone on to earn |
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| 32 | 32 | | graduate degrees, while others have joined the workforce right |
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| 33 | 33 | | after college; they have entered such fields as law, finance, |
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| 34 | 34 | | nursing, and education, and some have become entrepreneurs; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Joan Karff's Women on the Way Up has helped open |
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| 36 | 36 | | pathways of opportunity for numerous Lamar High School students, |
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| 37 | 37 | | allowing them to become more well-rounded, engaged, and productive |
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| 38 | 38 | | citizens of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Legislature hereby honor Joan Karff's Women on the Way Up for its |
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| 41 | 41 | | contributions and extend to all those associated with the |
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| 42 | 42 | | organization sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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| 43 | 43 | | further |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 45 | | prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 46 | 46 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 47 | 47 | | A. Johnson of Harris |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 50 | 50 | | I certify that H.R. No. 977 was adopted by the House on April |
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| 51 | 51 | | 20, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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