My Experience Meeting President Obama

On Friday January 22, 2010, the unbelievable became reality for me and my classmates when we had the chance to meet President Barack Obama. My classmates and I prepared for a week to present our FabLab presentations to the President. To sum up that whole experience in a few paragraphs, is difficult because the whole situation left me speechless. The way I felt when I was picked to work in the Fab Lab Group, how I felt when I meet President Barack Obama, and what I can take away from this whole experience is the most important to me and almost impossible to describe.
When I was first told that I was chosen to be in the Fab Lab Group to meet the President, I was astonished. My jaw dropped when I heard those words from my principal, Mrs. Valentine. I was so nervous that I was not going to be able to articulate myself to a man of such high education and power. I was constantly thinking, “What if I forget my name?” or, “What if he thinks I’m not intelligent?” I was so nervous, I forgot to let myself breathe and relax and just hope for the best. I had so much excitement in meeting the President and showing him how Fab Lab can increase the knowledge of our everyday classrooms.
Finally, after all the anticipation and practice, the big moment arrived and I could not wait to show President Obama what my classmates and I had been working on. As the Fab Lab group and I lined up to walk over to the Advanced Technologies Building, I could feel the nerves begin to take over my body. I felt like I was in trouble when I was being searched by a member of the White House, but I knew it was all about the safety of the President and ourselves as well. When we finally arrived at the Fab Lab, I felt overwhelmed but ready to show everyone what my classmates and I were capable of doing. My partner, Tajah Davis, and I were working on our Cereal Box, when I saw that the press and the President had walked into the workshop behind me. All I remember thinking was, “Oh my gosh, the President of the United States is standing behind me.” I had a smile on my face from that moment until I fell asleep that night. When Obama shook my hand, I felt that I could do anything I put my heart to, because when I touched President Obama’s hand, I felt as if he believed in me. From that day forward, I have not let anything stop me from doing anything in this world.
From this experience, I can take away so many things that will help me reach my goals and dreams in my lifetime. This showed me that someone as big and famous as President Obama could notice people like me and Lorain County are important. It shows me that even though I am not a famous person, does not mean that the huge world cannot hear me and know me. I am going to stand out in this world, and I am going to make a difference in the American Society. I also hope to show the world how the Fab Lab can change the way students learn and hopefully create more Fab Lab’s throughout the world.
This experience of meeting the President of the United States will be one of my greatest memories of all time. Also, I am so blessed to experience this opportunity. I could not have done this without the help of my classmates and my teacher, Miss. Blankenship. Thank you so much for a priceless moment.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Engle

My Presidential Experience

Paula Jones

January 26, 2010

Welcome President Obama

On January 22, 2010, I met the first African-American president, Barack Obama. That day so many thoughts ran through my mind like what I was going to say or wear. Before meeting the president, I was interviewed on what my outlook was at that point. The entire time this experience felt unreal until he actually walked into the FabLab. The FabLab is a creative and hands -on -learning experience. It is a great resource for geometry class because we can get accurate and precise measure of angles and shapes by using the laser cutter and the other utensils in the lab. There are many FabLabs throughout the world, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to share this experience with not only my peers, but the president. The anticipation was building as we waited for him to enter the classroom. Unexpectedly, President Obama walked in the FabLab with a bubbly personality. He filled the room with such a warm presence. He shook our hands and talked to each one of us. I held my composure but inside my stomach was in knots because of how nervous I was as he stood right behind me. It was a remarkable experience to meet him. I will always treasure the memory of this once in a life time event. It was a great honor to be one of the few students chosen to represent the Lorain County Early College High School located on LCCC’s campus. How many people can say they shook the President’s hand?

LaTrell"s Presidential Experience

LaTrell Torrence
Early College High School
11th grade
January 26, 2010

My Presidential Visit

My Presidential experience was one event in my life that I will not fail to remember. Initially, I was very tense about meeting President Obama; I did not know what to look forward to. When he walked into the FabLab, I did not feel nervous because I believe that he is an average person with a great deal of importance. I noticed that he was not overly professional; he did not have an imperious attitude. Instead he was outgoing and meaningful. He was very cool, walked around and hugged us and shook our hands, asked our names, and just had fun.
Fablab is about taking your ideas and creating and designing 3-D shapes and objects that you can turn into reality. CorelDRAW allows you to calculate and make objects that you cannot do by hand. My Presidential experience was magnificent and this event will be one that I will keep with me and be able to share with others. The Presidential visit was electrifying, and I realized how much of an opportunity Early College High School really is. I truly want to thank Ms. Blankenship and Mrs. Valentine for giving me a chance to experience this and for picking me to be in the presence of the President of the United States.

; Meeting President Obama !

Meeting the president was a completely unbelievable experience. I was very nonchalant about it the days leading up to the big event and I tried not to make it a big deal. When that Friday came, it really hit me; I was going to meet the President! Before we were able to get into the FabLab, we were sat in our study rooms waiting for our time to go. I didn’t expect our time to be one on one with him. I can’t believe we had one on one interactions with the President of the United States. I figured he would be surrounded by eighty of his secret service people telling him about the FabLab themselves. Surprisingly, when he entered the room he had such an ecstatic attitude; he was so happy. He walked in and said, “Hey everybody! Sorry to interrupt!” At first I thought, “Who is this loud person coming in here?” Then I realized that it was the President himself. He actually came to each and every one of us, shook our hands and asked us our names. He was so curious of what we were doing, and what the FabLab was. Having a FabLab would lower complication levels for simple things, such as finding dimensions of squares, cutting of shapes and other materials. The Fab Lab really is just a faster way to do a lot of things in an advanced way. You can even make furniture. When he approached Chelsea and I, he called us divas because we named our cereal box Diva-Trition. It’s not every day that the President call you a diva; it was the highlight of my day. Even though everybody had the day off and didn’t have to come to school, I was so honored to come and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
; Tajah Davis ( 16yrs old )

Meeting the President

Meeting the President was a once in a life time opportunity. I was proud to have been included in a select group of students who got to meet the President. We were in the FabLab when President Obama came in. His energy was so great that it shocked all of us. He walked around the room and shook everyone’s hand and asked everyone what their name was and what we were doing. We were working on designing cereal boxes and trying to determine the most efficient way to make the boxes. In the FabLab, we designed the boxes on the computer and sent them to a laser cutter that cut the boxes how we had designed on the computer. The FabLab was helpful because if we didn’t have the laser cutter, then we would have had to measure the boxes by hand and cut and glued them. Everything would have taken longer and it would have made a big mess. This was an exciting day for me because I got to work in the FabLab and I got to meet the President of the United States of America.


Mark Ballard

Meeting President Obama

In Explanation of my experience Friday, January 22 2010, the word “astounding” can sum it all up. I had been hand chosen by my high school principal, Mrs. Valentine, and my 10th grade Geometry teacher, Ms. Blankenship to represent Early College High School while President Barack Obama was taking a tour of Lorain County Community College. I personally was selected to not only be a participating student but to help answer any questions President Obama had about LCCC’s Fabrication Laboratory. Early College students were incorporated primarily for the reason that Ms. Blankenship’s Geometry class was currently learning how to measure angles of shapes and irregular figures. This innovative learning experience actually helped students who possibly weren’t interested in the angle measurement lesson realize that the learning possibilities are endless. In the long run, students who might not have put forth effort towards applying themselves to this lesson, have been motivated and are willing to put in a greater effort because the FabLab experience contributed to changing their views. It was all so hectic because while everyone was stressing out that the person with the most power in the United States was going to be in their presence, I tried to maintain a calmed serene attitude. All was good until the moment came where as I sat, I looked in a short distance and seen the President walk through the building. I couldn’t help but to think to myself, “He is walking History”. As he walked in the room, as calm and serene as I wish I could have been, I couldn’t help but to be star struck. The President shook my hand and walked away, without noticing that my jaw still hadn’t been picked up off of the ground. My selected partner and I walked into the machinery section of the Fabrication Laboratory, mentally preparing ourselves for whatever question President Obama had to offer. After a few minutes of getting machines ready for the President’s observation, he finally walked in and shook mine and my partners hand once again. He asked only a few questions about the main machine, which was less than expected and took much pressure of me and my colleague. Before he left, my partner asked for a high five from the president, which he so gladly gave, and I was able to squeeze in the most privileged hug of my life with the president before he departed. This entire experience has been the best thing of my life. To think that most people do not have the chance to be in the same room as the President of the United States, I can say I personally met President Barack Obama. I would like to thank the people who made it possible, my 10th grade Geometry teacher Ms. Blankenship and My High School principal Mrs. Valentine. I would also like to thank my fellow classmates for putting in great effort to make this such a great memory. Early College High School made history, my fellow students and staff made history, I made history, and history is never forgotten!

Akil M.S. Blanton

My Presidential Expereince

My Presidential Experience
During my presidential experience, my heart never stopped racing. It started when President Obama entered the room. President Obama was a very down to earth person. President Obama came into the room announcing, “Now, what is going on in here. Sorry if I am interrupting.” In this spilt second, I lost focus and I could not help but to chuckle, but then I was back to being serious. While he walked around the room, he talked to each of the students, then he was behind Paula and I. This is the one moment when my heart stopped. President Obama first asked for our names and shook our hands! This interaction was the most nerve racking, exciting, and frightening thing I have ever done. After that, we were asked what we were doing. Paula and I answered by telling him that the whole point of being in the FabLab was to design a cereal box that used less material but could contain more product. President Obama then asked how we could do that, in response I answered, “By decreasing the width of the box.” Once we were ready to design our box, we then told President Obama that instead of making it on a printer we were creating it inside a laser cutter. Finally, President Obama had to move on, he shook our hands once more, and then he moved to Tajah and Chelsea. This six minute experience is by far the highlight of my school years.

Sean McGuigan