This post was originally written by Amy Chyao, 2010 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair winner.

Amy Chyao, winner of the 2010 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, was one of the few people invited to sit with First Lady, Michelle Obama, in the President’s box during President Obama’s recent State of the Union address. Below, Amy recounts this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The invite was a surprise, and I am humbled by the kind gesture from our nation’s President and our First Lady. Everyone we met greeted us with warmth, and even the weather was beautiful during our two days’ stay in DC. I met with the Secretary of Education, the President’s science adviser, and First Lady Michelle Obama during the pre-speech reception in the White House. I rode with the other ‘science kids’ to the Capitol in the evening, and then we finally settled down to listen to President Obama’s speech. Even when I am watching the re-run of the SOTU, I still cannot believe that I was there and heard every single word of the speech. I remember clapping as hard as I could, trying to channel all my energy to my hands.

I felt that the best part of being invited to the White House is the message that doing science is a great thing, which renews the hope that one day I will be able to accomplish something that is beneficial to many people. But of course, there were also some even more unforgettable moments, like meeting the First dog Bo. All of the First Lady’s guests were crazy about him, including me. It was by far one of the highlights of the day.

Tags: Amy Chyao, education, Intel Inspire, Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, Society for Science & the Public, State of the Union

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