Mr. President, I am proud to announce that the class from Kahuku High School of Kahuku, Hawaii, will represent the State of Hawaii at the national finals of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. These Hawaii students will join the more than 1,200 students from across the country that will visit Washington, D.C., to take part in the We the People national competition to be held during the first week of May. These outstanding students, through their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, won Hawaii's statewide competition and earned the chance to come to our Nation's Capital and compete at the national level.

The We the People program is administered by the Center for Civic Education and is an extensive educational program developed specifically to educate young people about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The three-day competition is modeled after hearings in the U.S. Congress and provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge before a panel of adult judges while they evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. Their testimony is followed by questions designed to probe the students' depth of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge.

I would like to recognize the following 25 Kahuku students that will be representing the State of Hawaii: Samuel Braden, Chelsey Bunker, Stacia Colton, Brian Craycroft, Tusi Esera, Lacey Golonka, Evelyn Griffin, Reis Harney, Celesta Hubner, Jeremy James, Natalie Kamauoha, Jennifer Kamiya, Azura Iversen-Keahi, Tiffany Lee, Brook McArthur, Donna Ramos, Leilani Relator, Alicia Reidy, Aaron Rillamas, Jordan Williams, Austin Spring, Ian Tapu, Alexandra Thompson, Rachel Tolleson, and Seini Unga. I would especially like to thank their teacher, Ms. Sandra Cashman for once again seizing this opportunity to empower and educate students about the significance of the American institutions of constitutional democracy. I am confident that the students will step up to the challenges presented in this competition and they will give a stellar performance.

As one who formerly taught at Kahuku High School, I take a special pride in these students' accomplishments. I know that it is because of school and parental support, dedication, and commitment that these students were empowered and encouraged to excel in this arena. I wish these students the best of luck at the We the People national finals and applaud their achievement. These students have no doubt made everyone in their school, their families, and their friends proud of what they have achieved. We should all be proud that they are learning and advocating the fundamental ideas that identify us as a people and bind us together as a nation. Let the students' enthusiasm and active participation in shaping their understanding of government serve as a model for all citizens to follow.