This past week was yet another jampacked week of work and play. Wednesday is when the craziness really started as we conducted another Let's Read Let's Move event. In attendance at this event was Deputy Chief of Staff for the Department of Education Eric Waldo (as that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was meeting with Pres. Obama), Maya Soetoro – children's author, college professor and President Obama’s half-sister, as well as famous chef Spike Mendelsohn and NFL free-agent Chris Draft! So it was wonderful not only to have all of the star presence in the room but having them interact with the children and be great mentors.
Another project that I've been working on is an initiative put forth by the federal government called Feds Feed Families. This program calls for varying federal agencies to collect food donations to donate to a local food charities. To gain attention to this program the Department of Education launched spirit week. During this week they held numerous events including a cute pet photo contest, a best dessert contest, as well as others. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to MC the best dessert contest! It was a fun experience; there wasn't a huge turnout but overall I think it was a great success and we were able to raise awareness and more money/food for the individuals that struggle to get through the summer, whether it be the shortages being experienced by the food banks or the children who lack the nutrition they get from school lunches. The prize was not only the respect, but also an apron that was embroidered "Ed's Best Baker" and was signed by Secretary Duncan.
Friday, I transferred over to a different education building that houses the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). It was somewhat a difficult transition getting all of my electronic equipment over into my new cubicle, but now all is well. I'm working on a new project for the last two weeks and I am excited about it. I'll let you know more about it as it progresses!
This past weekend, my sister as well as some friends from Texas were able to fly in and will be visiting for the week so words can’t describe how excited I am to have them here and to share experiences with them! On Saturday my sister and I were able to visit the Newseum with the other AAPD interns and have supper at the Capital Grille. It was an excellent museum and the food at the restaurant was spectacular. We were lucky enough to experience this because of the efforts of Cheryl Sensenbrenner, wife of Sen. Jim Sensenbrenner. It was wonderful visiting with her and hearing about her advocacy for those with disabilities. On Sunday, my now growing entourage and myself were able to take a cruise to Mount Vernon and tour the estate – it was awesome, but incredibly hot! Well I probably have went on too long already so I'll let you get back to whatever you are doing… Take care and have a great week!
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