A 'Dreamer,' Educator & an Activist Touched by Violence: Meet Jill Biden's Guests for President's Speech

Prisoners-turned-advocates, noted police officers and celebrated students (and evenRush Limbaugh) have all been part of the annual tradition of joining the first lady when a president addresses Congress.

PresidentJoe Biden’s first speech to both chambers of Congress, on Wednesday night, has a different guest list as a pandemic-era precaution. Attendance was sharply reduced to about 200, down from some 1,600 for past addresses,according to NBC News.

That means First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s guests for the evening are watching remotely — though the White House held a virtual reception for them earlier Wednesday, reflecting how the invitees have an importance beyond themselves as faces for the administration’s political priorities.

The first lady’s five guests include:

Maria-Isabel Ballivian, whom the White House described as an “innovative educator, senior administrator, trainer, and advocate” who is the executive director of the ACCA Child Development Center, serving at-risk kids in Virginia. Dr. Biden, a community college teacher, has made education is a key part of her work in the East Wing and is the first first lady with a job outside of her unpaid duties.

Stella Keating, a sophomore from Washington state, was the first transgender teenager to testify before the Senate, according to the White House, which said their legacy of activism stretches back to age 9. In contrast toDonald Trump, President Biden has embraced LGBTQ rights.

The president’s speech, though not technically a State of the Union (which he will give next year), is expected to have similar breadth and outline how he wants to lead the country through the remainder ofCOVID-19while extolling the importance of his sweeping new legislative proposals.

source: people.com