HOULTON, MAINE—CBP employees from the Boston Field Office, Houlton Air Branch and Houlton Sector in Maine will join forces with Houlton Junior High School officials and students to promote Women's History Month for two upcoming public events to be held at the Houlton High School Auditorium.
This year's topic, Women's Education-Women's Empowerment, will be a celebration of the important contributions of several notable women in history, and the equally significant contributions from women in education and law enforcement. The two events will be jointly presented by local CBP personnel and Houlton Junior High School officials and students.
On March 21st, the celebration will begin with the presentation of colors by the CBP joint Honor Guard, followed by a Houlton Junior High School student singing the National Anthem and then continue with guest speakers from the junior high school and CBP law enforcement.
The featured guest speaker will be Patrol Agent in Charge Leslie Lawson from Nogales Station, located within the Tucson Sector, in Arizona. She is the very first PAIC at this level and leads the largest Border Patrol station on the Southwest Border. She has accomplished many 'firsts' throughout her career; she was also the first female Supervisory Border Patrol Agent and Patrol Agent in Charge assigned to the Ramey Station in Puerto Rico, and the first female Assistant Chief Patrol Agent of the Swanton Sector in Vermont.
The event will conclude with the announcement of the seventh and eighth grade student essay winners and the retirement of colors by the CBP joint Honor Guard. The event will be held at the Houlton High School Auditorium and will run from 9:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
On April 5th, the celebration of Women's History Month will continue with a Women in History Pageant, presented by Houlton Junior High School seventh grade students and to be held at the Houlton High School Auditorium. This is the eleventh year students will participate in this elaborate, cross-curricular pageant.
In order for students to epitomize the woman they are to portray, students prepare months in advance with each group responsible for developing their scripts and then performing 'in character' in the interview and talent portions of the program. In years past, groups have shown immense creativity; designing productions that intricately highlight the accomplishments or significant impacts that each woman has had on history.
This year 16-significant women, born between 1752 and 1969, have been selected, including Betsy Ross, Margaret Chase Smith, Anne Frank and Steffi Graf. Groups will be critiqued on the quality of their interviews, the creative use of historic information in their performances, stage presence, voice projection, costumes and props.
The winning group will receive flowers, a sash and tiara, as well as a perfect score for the grade book. The historic woman presented by the winning group is then retired and cannot be selected by groups in future pageants.
Please join CBP, the Houlton Junior High School students, and school officials for these two special events as we come together as a community to celebrate Women's History Month.