Yesterday, we talked about Gabriela Farfan and Li Boyton being invited to sit with Mrs. Obama in the the First Lady’s Box at the 2010 State of the Union. They also met with Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, and John Holdren, Science and Technology Advisor to the President. We have the pleasure of sharing with you Gabriela’s and Li’s reactions and thoughts from last night’s State of the Union. Enjoy!

Once again, Congratulations to Gabriela and Li for being such great role models for other students!

Gabriela (left) and Li all smiles after the State of the Union

Gabriela Farfan

I am still trying to calm down from the adrenaline rush of tonight’s events. I feel deeply honored to have been invited to sit with the First Lady in her box at the State of the Union Address. I think that President Obama’s speech was inspirational and moving. It was a forceful reminder of how far we have come this year and how much more we have to go. I was particularly happy at how he stressed the importance of science and math education as the key to our future and a competitive society. I believe that government encouragement and funding of science education is essential. But it is ultimately up to the students and their parents to make the real difference. As a student, it is important to take your interests seriously and ask questions. There are so many resources out there waiting for you to grab them. As for the parents, I can say that it was my parent’s (and many other friend’s) support of my interest in geology that fueled my enthusiasm and success.

As for the experience of the State of the Union itself, the room was freezing! However, everyone is packed into a room that is much smaller than what it appears to be on TV, so it warmed up quickly. Before the president took the podium, it was incredible to see the faces of people I had learned about in high school: Nancy Pelosi, VP Biden, supreme court justices and many, many more. They were all in front of me at once, milling around like normal people! During the speech it was very interesting to observe the different reactions. Sometimes everyone cheered, sometimes is was only the democrats and sometimes it was random. Every few sentences, we would all stand up and clap, especially when the First Lady rose. I found the entire process fascinating and truly gratifying. Sitting in the First Lady’s box made it feel like we were participating in history and democracy. After the Address, I got a picture with both Barack and Michelle Obama : ). The President shook my hand and the First Lady gave me a hug. I thanked Michelle Obama for being such a great role model and told the President that he did an amazing job on his speech. I could not have asked for a better evening.

Li Boynton

Being in the Capitol for the State of the Union Address was completely surreal. When Michelle Obama walked in the room, I was stunned. I was so used to seeing her on TV, I expected a glass screen to be right in front of me! But Michelle was so warm, down-to-earth, and inviting that I began to feel at home in the White House Theater. Later on, when we met in the Presidential Box at the Capitol, she shook my hand and told me she was proud of me. I was so star-struck I whispered, “I just touched Michelle Obama!” to the guest next to me.

Even more so, I loved Obama’s speech. I think he executed his first State of the Union Address very powerfully. I’m very passionate about several of the topics he supported, such as gay marriage and an equal pay approach, which was exciting. I probably clapped the hardest when he talked about education reform that supports students excelling in math and science, since I knew I was a role model for that. He also spent a lot of time emphasizing the need to revamp our energy infrastructure towards one of clean energy, which I believe is vital to the state of our nation and economy. His relentless belief and optimism in our nation, despite status quo hardships, was really inspiring.

But what really inspired me was all the support from people in my community, my state, and even the world. A couple days ago, a family friend from Chicago emailed me and told me he and his kids were going to have a “little watch party and pop popcorn” for me. He said his kids were also aspiring scientists and looked to me as a role model. I realized then that what inspires me most is inspiring other people. Before all the opportunities and awards Intel provided me with, I was following in the footsteps of scientists I could only dream to be. Now I realize that not only am I capable, but also that I myself set an example for others. This is what really inspires me to keep achieving and solving problems in the world around me with science and real-life application.

I must admit that I rarely watched the State of the Union Address before. But after tonight, I’m sure I’ll watch it every year. However, it certainly can’t compare to watching it live next to Michelle Obama!

Here are some additional photos from yesterday and this morning.

Tags: education, Gabriela Farfan, Intel Inspire, Intel STS, Li Boynton, State of the Union

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.