Recognizing Janis Blocker

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mrs. Janis Blocker, a South Carolinian whose legacy and impact on those around her has been nothing short of remarkable.

Janis was born in Colleton County in 1938. Following what she saw as God's calling for her, she became a devoted teacher for many years and was deeply beloved by all of her students.

She first attended Charleston Southern University where she graduated summa cum laude and later received a master's degree in teaching English from The Citadel in 1981. That is the degree that she used to teach for over 49 years.

She taught a range of topics, including English honors and journalism, and was heavily involved in the State education system. Her students honored her with Teacher of the Year in 1987, and she had a yearbook dedicated to her as a testament to her hard work spanning many years.

Janis is also known for her complete dedication to her local community, serving for all of the 24 years as a chair of the Colleton County Republican Party and as a delegate to three national Presidential conventions.

She was even recognized with the Dr. James B. Edwards Award for her dedicated and conspicuous service to the South Carolina Republican Party. These achievements are nothing short of exceptional.

She is now the vice chair of the Colleton County Board of Elections and has served as a chair of the Colleton County Library Board of Trustees from 2019 to this day, as well as a longstanding member of the Colleton Library Board of Trustees.

Janis has served as a board member of the Colleton County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections. She served two terms on the County Council and is a former member of the United Way board. As if this wasn't enough, she is also a member and officer of the South Carolina Artisans Center Board and the Colleton Historical Society.

Faith has always been an integral part of her life story. Janis not only graduated from the South Carolina School of Theology, but she is a lifelong member of the Bethel Presbyterian Church in Walterboro, South Carolina, where she has been a choir director for 67 years.

She was also a clerk of sessions at Bethel Presbyterian Church for 25 years, among many other church activities.

Her outstanding life's work has led her to receive numerous awards. Janis received the Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award; the Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Achievement in Education Award; the First Star of the Southeast award from Delta Kappa Gamma Southeastern District; the State Achievement Award from the State teachers' society, Alpha Eta State; and the Order of the Rose award from the Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.

I would be remiss to omit that she has a husband, a beautiful family, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This is only an inkling of the life and legacy of Mrs. Janis Blocker. She has deeply impacted her students, her community, and her home State through her vested commitment to building up all those with whom she comes in contact.

Janis Blocker's legacy demonstrates a life truly well lived. I am proud to recognize her today in the United States House of Representatives Chamber, and I thank her for her service.

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