Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
09/27/2007
Pelosi Remarks in Texas at Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology Conference
(En español debajo)
Edinburg, Texas – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered the keynote address on increasing Hispanic student participation in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math at the Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology Week (HESTEC) at the University of Texas-Pan American today. Below are the Speaker’s remarks as prepared:
“I am so pleased to join a proud UTPA Alum, my colleague and friend, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa. Congressman Hinojosa is a force to be reckoned with. He’s Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Life Long Learning and Competitiveness and founder of HESTEC Week. In
“I would also like to salute the many teachers, school principals, and administrators who join us here today. As teachers, you have an awesome responsibility, a special place in our society. We are all so grateful for your dedication, your time, and your talents.
“Looking around this room, I see our nation’s future – and it is bright. You come here today with so many dreams, and so much optimism. This is the signature of young people, who with every generation rejuvenate our country.
“When I was young, our nation was inspired by a young President – President John F. Kennedy. He was full of bold ideas, and broad vision – and he challenged our nation to send a man to the moon within a decade.
“As he said, ‘The vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we are first, and therefore, we intend to be first. Our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to our selves as well as others, all require us to make this effort.’
“At the time, skeptics laughed. But just eight years later, Neil Armstrong left footprints on the moon. Innovative thinking made this possible.
“In Congress, we are encouraging children to innovate in order to succeed. It is students like you who inspire our efforts.
“Several years ago, the smartest students from some of the best high schools and universities in the country competed in an underwater robotics competition. Students from MIT, for example, raised thousands of dollars from corporate sponsors to build their state of the art robot. They didn’t win.
“It was four teenagers, all undocumented immigrants, from a high school in
“I wish all the competitors of HESTEC’s robotics competition tomorrow the same faith in themselves.
“Students like Oscar must have the opportunities to achieve to their highest potential. That’s why we are working in Congress to pass the DREAM Act, which will allow children who have been going to school or serving in the military, a chance at citizenship, which often means an opportunity to pursue higher education.
“For students to pursue higher education, it must be affordable. Just last week in
“And because of Congressman Hinojosa’s unflagging advocacy, we made a historic investment in Hispanic Serving Institutions like UTPA.
“We did this because we believe that higher education is the single best investment you can make in yourself; it is the single best investment families can make in the success of their children; and it is the single best investment our nation can make in its future strength.
“Higher education is a key to achieving the American dream, and more than ever, the American dream is going to depend upon innovation. It was with students like Oscar Vazquez and all of you in mind that we created our Innovation Agenda – much of which is now law.
“We believe that innovation starts in your classrooms – that’s why we are investing in your teachers, training you, the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, and ensuring our future innovators reflect the diversity of our country.
“We are also making investments in the research and development that will translate scientific breakthroughs into tangible products. In the past, this funding has led to the development of the internet, Doppler Radar, bar codes, fiber optics, MRIs, and speech recognition software.
“All of you will be developing the products of the future. Who can tell what you imagination will bring us? With our Innovation Agenda, we make investments to ensure that our workforce should be as diverse as our nation. In
“I am sure that many of you are worried about global warming, and protecting our beautiful environment. So am I. Global warming is a huge challenge. It is also an opportunity.
“Investing in the solutions to global warming could create millions of green American jobs over 10 years in our neighborhoods, inner cities, and rural areas. That means that your interest in science and math today could mean a good paying job and a solution to global warming in the future.
“As my grandson Alexander likes to say, ‘Back in the olden days, there were three big differences. People didn’t use computers, they all smoked, and there were no energy efficient cars.’
“Even though he thinks of the time when I was a child as the olden days, I see those three differences as signs of progress. They give me hope for the future, as do all of you. As I look around this room, I am confident that the future of
* * *
“Estoy muy contenta de estar aquí con un orgulloso ex alumno de la Universidad de Texas Pan Americana (UTPA por sus siglas en ingles), un amigo y colega, el Congresista Rubén Hinojosa.
“El Congresista Hinojosa es una persona de gran influencia. Es el presidente
“Quiero reconocer a las maestras, directoras, y administradores que nos acompañan hoy.
“Mirando alrededor de este salón, veo el futuro de nuestra nación - y es brillante. Ustedes vienen a este lugar con tantos sueños, y con tanto optimismo. Esta es la huella de nuestra juventud, que con cada generación rejuvenecen a nuestro país.
“Cuando era joven, nuestra nación fue inspirada por un presidente joven - el Presidente John F. Kennedy. El tenía ideas valientes y una visión extensa. El le puso una reta a nuestra nación - de poner un hombre en la luna dentro de una década.
“
“En aquel día los escépticos se rieron. Pero solamente ocho años después, Neil Armstrong dejo sus huellas en la luna. Pensado de una manera innovadora hizo que esto fuera posible.
“En el Congreso estamos animando a nuestros niños para que sean innovadores y para que puedan salir adelante. Son estudiantes
“Hace varios años, los niños más inteligentes de las mejores preparatorias y universidades de este país competieron en una competición de robots submarinos.
“Por ejemplo, estudiantes del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachussets (MIT por sus siglas en ingles) recaudaron miles de dólares de patrocinadores corporativos para construir su robot.
“Y no ganaron.
“Fueron cuatro adolescentes indocumentados
“Ellos solamente tenían poco dinero para construir su robot, pero tenían ingenio y creatividad infinita.
“
“Les deseo a todos los competidores, en la competición de HESTEC mañana, que tengan la misma fe en ellos mismos.
“Estudiantes
“
“Y gracias al la lucha
“Hicimos esto porque creemos que la educación es una inversión única que te puedas hacer a ti mismo; es una de las mejores inversiones que una familia puede hacer para el éxito de sus hijos; es una de las únicas inversiones que nuestra nación puede hacer para tener fuerza en el futuro.
“Fue con estudiantes
“Creemos que la innovación empieza en los salones – por eso estamos invirtiendo en maestros, entrenándolos a ustedes, la próxima generación de científicos, matemáticos, e ingenieros, y asegurando que nuestros innovadores
“Nosotros también estamos invirtiendo en investigación y el desarrollo que realizaran estos grandes avances científicos, en productos tangibles. En el pasado, este financiamiento nos ha llevado al desarrollo del Internet, el Radar Doppler, código de barras, ópticas de fibra, resonancia magnética (MRI por sus siglas en ingles), y software de reconocimiento de voz.
“Todos ustedes estarán desarrollando los productos en el futuro. ¿Quien puede decir las innovaciones que su imaginación nos traerán?
“Con nuestra Agenda Innovadora, nosotros invertimos para asegurar que nuestros trabajadores sean tan diversos
“Innovación nos dará las herramientas suficientes para enfrentar los grandes retos de nuestro tiempo.
“Estoy segura que muchos de ustedes se preocupan por el calentamiento global, y por la protección de nuestro hermoso medioambiente. Yo también.
“El calentamiento global es un gran reto. También es una gran oportunidad.
“Inversión en las soluciones para el calentamiento global podría crear millones de trabajos en los próximos diez años en nuestros vecindarios, centros urbanos, y áreas rurales.
“Eso quiere decir que su interés en la ciencia y matemáticas de hoy puede darles un trabajo que paga bien y la misma vez resolver el calentamiento global en el futuro.
“
“Aunque el piense que los viejos tiempos eran los días de mi niñez, yo veo esas diferencias
“Al igual que ustedes.