Monday, July 26, 2010

Happy Birthday ADA

Happy 20th Birthday ADA!

I can write about how amazing this week was but anything I will say would be an understatement. It would be too difficult to describe all the emotion, excitement and intensity throughout this past week. In school you always learn about American civil rights movements during the 60s and 70s and so on, and I knew that they were important to the nation's history and citizens, but to me these subjects were just chapters in a textbook that I had to read in order to pass the class. However, I am proud to say that I have been part of a civil rights movement that would go down in history and that other people would read about. I realize that I did not play a big role in the 20th anniversary of the ADA, but I am glad that I was part of such an important chapter of American history.

Throughout all the events this past week I saw and got to meet a lot of important political figures in D.C., from a Kennedy to the Attorney General Eric Holder, and this would not have been possible if weren't for AAPD and I am sure that like all the interns, I am grateful for all that the staff member and board members have done in order to give us this kind of opportunity. But out of everyone that gave speeches, that was quoted in the media and acknowledged, the MVP from this past week and weeks to would be Yoshiko Dart. If there is anyone in this world that can be in two places at once, it is probably her. Couple of the interns and I had the pleasure of attending the the unveiling of the Justin Dart call box on Saturday. I am glad that I decided not to succumb to the heat and stay at home, because we all had a chance to hear her actually speak in front of a crowd! And if she denies her MVP trophy, due to her modesty, the trophy would most definitely go to AAPD President & CEO Andy Imparato, who seriously looked like Jack Bauer from the 24, with his ear piece at the JFA event. I hope that he and the other staff members would each wear an ear piece to every AAPD event, because that was just too cool, and eventually the interns too of course. I had an interview with John Kemp couple of months ago and he told me that, "Andy will be president one day." I really hope so, so that I can tell everyone that I used to work in his office!

Well I would like to wrap things up by repeating, Happy Birthday ADA!

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