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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The 40th birthday of an esteemed Texan is truly |
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cause for celebration, and Monica Peņa of Edinburg is marking that |
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special milestone on May 28, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1969 in Mission, Mrs. Peņa is the daughter of |
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Emiliano and Lazara Luna Solis; she grew up as part of a large, |
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close-knit family that included her siblings Sylvia, Emiliano |
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Roberto, Lazara, Emiliano Dagoberto, Sandra, Elfego, and Soraida; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Peņa worked in the cotton fields of West Texas |
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alongside the other members of her family and also devoted herself |
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to furthering her education; she graduated from Mission High School |
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in 1987 in the top five percent of her class and enhanced her |
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leadership skills by participating in the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth |
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Legislative Session; she then enrolled at The University of |
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Texas--Pan American, where she studied accounting and business |
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management; and |
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WHEREAS, A resident of Chicago for two years, she also lived |
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in the Texas communities of McAdoo, Alton, and Austin before |
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settling in Edinburg; she is the mother of two children, Alyssa |
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Victoria and Michael Anthony Peņa, as well as three stepchildren, |
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Adrienne Peņa-Garza, Aron Leonel Peņa III, and John Austin Peņa, |
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and she takes great pride in their achievements; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Peņa has proven her abilities in two different |
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career fields; she spent two decades working for a number of South |
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Texas law firms, including Peņa, McDonald, Prestia & Ornelas, the |
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Law Office of Ricardo A. Garcia, Ellis, Koeneke & Ramirez, the Law |
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Office of Gary Henrichson, and Aaron Peņa & Associates; since 2004, |
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she has devoted her talents to Dress for Success of the Rio Grande |
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Valley, a nonprofit organization that promotes the economic |
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independence of disadvantaged women by providing them with career |
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development support and professional attire; she initially served |
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as the president of the board of directors and has been the |
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executive director since April 2006; in addition, she took an |
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active role in the Mother's Day Out program at St. Theresa's |
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Catholic Church from August 1996 to June 1997; and |
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WHEREAS, Highly regarded by all who know her, Monica Peņa has |
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distinguished herself as an accomplished professional and as a |
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loving mother and family member, and she is indeed deserving of |
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recognition for four decades of life well lived; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Monica Peņa on the occasion of her |
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40th birthday and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued |
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happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Peņa as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |