As President Obama delivers his final, reportedly non-traditional, State of the Union address on Tuesday, all eyes will be on the unfamiliar faces in the First Lady’s guest box overlooking the Congress floor. Traditionally, these guests are handpicked to illustrate “who we are as Americans: inclusive and compassionate, innovative and courageous,” according to the White House announcement.
Meet 12 of the 24 guests sitting with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, and check out the video of several guests getting their official White House invitation.
- A vacant seat, in memory of victims of gun violence
Photo: whitehouse.gov - Edith Childs (Greenwood, SC)- This Greenwood County Council Member invigorated attendees at an Obama campaign stop with the chant of “Fired Up! Ready to Go!”, which became the unofficial slogan of the 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
Photo: whitehouse.gov
3. Jim Obergefell (Cincinnati, OH)- Obergefell is the plaintiff in the landmark marriage equality decision (Obergefell vs. Hodges) from 2014.
4. Refaai Hamo (Troy, MI)- A Syrian refugee profiled by popular photo project Humans of New York, Hamo’s story captivated audiences and drew support from the President, who commented “Welcome to your new home. You’re part of what makes America great”. Hamo arrived in Michigan with his two daughters in December 2015.
5. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (Hartford, CT)- Governor Malloy has led Connecticut in implementing many important programs- from stricter gun control laws to criminal justice reform and a higher minimum wage.
6. Ryan Reyes (San Bernardino, CA)- Reyes’ partner, Larry “Daniel” Kaufman, was one of the victims in the San Bernardino shooting. Reyes saved 12 lives at the Inland Regional Center and since the shooting has become an activist promoting religious tolerance.
7. Sgt. Spencer Stone (Sacramento, CA)- Sgt. Stone and his two friends became front page news in 2015 after they stopped a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train. While restraining the gunman, Sgt. Stone sustained knife injuries on his neck and hand, but came back to the United States with a Purple Heart and a promotion to Staff Sergeant.
8. Oscar Vasquez (Fort Worth, TX)- When he moved from Mexico to Texas, Vasquez realized his passion for the STEM fields and led a mostly-Hispanic team to victory against an MIT team in a robotics competition. Vasquez also served in the US Army and received citizenship.
9. Braeden Mannering (Bear, DE)- Mannering, age 12, was inspired to start his non-profit, Brae’s Brown Bags, after attending one of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! events at the White House. Brae’s Brown Bags provides healthy food to homeless people and low-income communities in Delaware.
10. Sue Ellen Allen (Scottsdale, AZ)- Allen, a former inmate, started a nonprofit focusing on helping female inmates re-enter society and provides resources to assist in the difficult transition.
11. Mark Davis (Washington, DC)- Davis was struck by the President’s commitment to sustainable energy and started a small business that trained low-income workers to install solar panels and other green tech jobs.
12. Major Lisa Jaster (Houston, TX)- Major Jaster became the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Ranger School, which began including women soldiers last year after lifting the ban on women in combat.
Also in attendance will be Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis, as a guest of Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, an extreme Right Christian organization. Davis was briefly jailed for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
