LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Ms. Leslyn S. Ward, upon the occasion
of being honored on May 20, 2010, in conjunction with Women of Valor Day
in the State of New York

WHEREAS, The State of New York is home to countless women who have
contributed to the advancement of our culture through their traditional
and non-traditional roles in society; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those Women of Valor within the Empire State who have made
strong contributions to their communities and who inspire others through
their model citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Ms. Leslyn S. Ward upon the occasion of being honored on May 20, 2010,
in conjunction with Women of Valor Day in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made
historic contributions to the growth and strength of New York State in
countless recorded and unrecorded ways; and
WHEREAS, The New York State Senate has set aside time to recognize the
unique contributions that valiant women have made to this great Empire
State and its society; and
WHEREAS, Leslyn Ward is the fifth child of her mother's 11 children;
during her formidable years, her parents imparted to her the value and
importance of a quality education; although her father was tragically
killed in the line of duty as a police officer, this message was never
lost as Leslyn raised her two lovely daughters; and
WHEREAS, Being an ardent lover of learning and achieving, Ms. Ward
chose to advance her career; in 1993, she earned a Master of Science
degree in Education, and on June 1, 1995, she added a Master of Science
degree with a major in Guidance and Counseling to her many achievements;
furthermore, her leadership abilities were utilized for the Graduate
Student Government Association at Brooklyn College, where she was
elected secretary and remained an active member throughout that period;
and
WHEREAS, As Ms. Ward's education continued, she began to see the
urgency and the importance of counseling in the lives of students and
their families; therefore, she pursued an advanced certificate in Guid-
ance and Counseling; she is also the holder of a Master's degree in
School Administration and Supervision from Brooklyn College where she
graduated with honors and gained membership to the Kappa Delta Phi
education honor society; and
WHEREAS, Driven by a philosophy of love towards the down downtrodden,
Leslyn Ward chose to volunteer as a counselor at the Brooklyn Public
Library, where she used her knowledge and skills to assist clients in
achieving their GED and/or employment; in addition, she has provided
counseling to clients and students at Urban Strategies in Brownsville,
New York; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ward believes that education is more than just text book
knowledge; she truly feels that as a teacher, counselor and administra-
tor, that it is her responsibility to develop the whole child; her
colleagues can highly attest to the fact that she considers the mental,
physical and cognitive abilities of their students of utmost importance;
and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ward's leadership ability has thrived over the years and
has led her into various leadership positions, one of which is District
18 representative to the council for Supervisors and

Administrators(ACS); she is also a member of several educational organ-
izations and associations; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ward is a community activist, counselor, and humanitari-
an; in her capacity as a Assistant Principal of the Louis Marshall
Elementary School(P.S. 276), she has proven to be the type of leader
that deserves to be honored and held as a example of what educators
should exemplify as they hone their craft; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ward has organized and participated in various events
geared towards activism and community self-empowerment; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity to
express its highest admiration for Ms. Leslyn S. Ward, and to wish her
continued success in all of her future endeavors; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when Women of
Valor, noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they
should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of the great
State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Ms. Leslyn S. Ward upon the occasion of being honored on May 20,
2010, in conjunction with Women of Valor Day in the State of New York;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Ms. Leslyn S. Ward.