Clinton Lauds Courage Of Chicago High School Graduate

Jet, July 10, 2000

The story of a tenacious high school student who, after surviving a brutal attack, managed to graduate at the top of her class so touched President Clinton that he recently wrote her a special letter.

Pleasure Heard, a graduate of Englewood Technical Preparatory Academy in Chicago, was burned over 40% of her body in 1997 by a gang member who doused her with alcohol and set her on fire, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Heard still kept her No. 1-ranking at school despite the injuries, studying in the hospital until returning to school.

President Clinton penned a note praising Heard, who now is enrolled at the University of Chicago, on her accomplishments. He called her a "powerful example of courage" and said he would like to meet her the next time he is in the Chicago area, the newspaper reported.