Day 2: Washington DC

I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful today was. We started out at the White House. We stood in line for quite some time, waiting for our photos with the president. All of the sudden, the door to the Oval Office opens, and President Obama throws his arms in the air and says, "Well, hello there!" At that point we were ushered in one at a time for our photos. The president graciously engaged in small talk with each of us about where and what we teach.

We then stood behind the president as he introduced the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY), Michelle Shearer. We are all incredibly proud of Michelle and honored to be among her NSTOY class. Michelle is not only an incredible teacher, but an incredible woman, as was made clear by her first speech as NTOY. (How would you like to give a speech immediately after President Obama, arguably one of the best orators of our generation?)

After the ceremony, my mom and I grabbed lunch and then headed to the Capitol building, where we received a tour from a Reid aide. He accompanied us to Senator Heller's office, where we briefly met with the (almost) Senator and where a previous student is aiding.

After this brief meeting, we jetted back to Senator Reid's office while I was interviewed by a reporter from the Las Vegas Sun, where I sat and talked to his education aide and another former student. Senator Reid was running late, but I loved talking to Maria and catching up with her. I didn't think to talk education with the aide until just minutes before Senator Reid arrived. We sat and talked very briefly, had some pictures taken, and had a short, impromptu press conference.

Senator Reid received a note that Senator Inouye from Hawaii had arrived for a meeting, so Senator
Reid ushered my mom and I into his office to introduce me to Senator Inouye, who I believe is the oldest member of Congress.

At that point, we caught a cab back to the hotel. Shortly, we will head down for our dinner. I am both thrilled and excited by my day. I thought I would be nervous, but I wasn't. I mostly couldn't contain myself. I feel so lucky to get this opportunity.