Young Americans To Join Michelle Obama for State of the Union

Several young Americans will join First Lady Michelle Obama tonight to hear President Obama deliver his State of the Union address to Congress, according to a release.

The president is expected to address a number of issues in tonight’s speech, including the economy and job creation. Many analysts say the president will also likely focus on education, college affordability, healthcare reform, and other issues impacting young Americans.

University of Colorado-Boulder student Mahala Greer will be among the more than 20 guests invited by Mrs. Obama. Greer, who is majoring in Spanish and plans to serve in Teach for America after graduating in May, will have accrued more than $35,000 in student loan debt while earning her degree. Last year, President Obama introduced new efforts to help Americans manage loan debt.

(TONIGHT: LIVE COVERAGE of the State of the Union from Campus Progress.)

Also invited is Adam Rapp, an Illinois resident who benefitted from the Affordable Care Act when he was diagnosed with cancer on his 23^rd birthday—the same day he would have lost coverage. But under the healthcare reform law, Rapp was able to stay on his parents’ policy and is now cancer-free. Since the law took effect, more than 2.5 million young Americans who were not insured now have coverage.

Juan Jose Redín, a Mexican-born immigrant who migrated here with his family as a 10-year-old, will also join the First Lady tonight. Redín benefitted from California’s A.B. 540, which allows undocumented youth to attend public universities and pay in-state tuition rates if they graduated from a high school in the state. Redín is now a U.S. citizen after earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California—Los Angeles.

(BINGO! Play Along With Campus Progress’ SOTU Bingo Cards.)

President Obama will address the economy and job creation in tonight’s speech, and the First Lady has invited Amber Morris, a Virginia resident with a law degree who struggled after losing her job. Now working as a waitress, she’s “lucky to have a paycheck” to afford student loan payments.

Earlier this year, Obama announced a plan to create 180,000 opportunities for young Americans to find summer employment, internships, and trainings.

Those invited to the State of the Union often indicate the president’s successes over the previous year or acknowledge issues he plans to address.

“The guests of the First Lady each have uniquely American stories to tell, and in many cases their stories highlight not only the challenges we've overcome,” White House spokesman Kevin Lewis told the Huffington Post, “but some of the ways in which we can move forward together as a nation and create an America built to last.”

Other notable guests joining the First Lady include Mark Kelly, the husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Giffords will resign from Congress soon, she announced recently, to focus on recovering from injuries she sustained after being shot during a constituency meet-and-greet in Arizona last year.

Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of late Apple founder Steve Jobs, will also watch the address from Mrs. Obama’s box. She serves on a number of education-related boards and focuses much of her work on helping students graduate and preparing them for college.

Another guest joining Mrs. Obama is Debbie Bosanek, multibillionaire Warren Buffet’s secretary. In late 2011, the president introduced a plan he called the “Buffet Rule” to more fairly tax the wealthy. The proposal is based on a column Buffet wrote for the New York Times highlighting the difference between his tax rate and his secretary’s rate.

Campus Progress will provide live coverage and commentary during the State of the Union on our website and on Twitter at @campusprogress.

Brian Stewart is the journalism and online communications manager at Campus Progress.

Related Stories

• Public Opinion Snapshot: Millennials Want a More Equitable Society
• Take Congress on a #DontDoubleMyRate Date
• #DontDoubleMyRate: Tweet Your Senators
• REPORTS: How A Stafford Increase Would Impact Your State
• Youth Activists Tell Senate to Stand With Students; Senate Sits This One Out