The first Dinner with Barack was such a rousing success that the campaign decided to do it all over again. The list of people who were selected to join Obama over a casual dinner was released, and among the four lucky individuals is a concerned parent of an Autistic child, a senior citizen who is participating in her first political campaign, and an Air Force Veteran who served in the current war in Iraq.
All of them are a diverse and admirable group of people, but, the one that stands out to me, mainly due to the fact that she is a student like all of us, is Brittany Washington. Brittany is currently a student at Howard University, and her plans of service are as ambitious as Obama’s run for the Presidency.
She wants to join Teach for America, which is a program that sends college graduates across the nation to teach in underrepresented schools. A worthy goal, but Ms. Washington’s drive doesn’t stop there. She also plans on getting her doctorate in education and public policy, with a dream of opening up her own charter school.
Brittany has an understanding of the plight our public schools are in, as she is a volunteer in one of the toughest public school districts, Washington D.C. When asked about life in D.C. public schools, she said “The windows are broken out, and there are never enough chairs or lights. It's just ridiculous. And we expect these kids to compete with other kids who have chairs and windows."
Brittany’s story is just one of the four Obama will hear when he dines with these politically savvy individuals. Once again, the campaign has selected four people whose stories, while unique and remarkable, have similar ties to everyone watching and waiting for change. And while Brittany’s story, as well as Ms. Grossman’s, Mr. Wilson’s, and Ms. Unruh’s, are truly fantastic, it just shows that this campaign is reaching people of all backgrounds, and while doing so, bringing out the best in them.
Stay tuned for a recap of the dinner.
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