Desiline Victor, the 102-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti, who waited in line for hours to vote in last November’s presidential election, will share First Lady Michelle Obama’s box on Tuesday night when President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address.
Victor, a retired farmworker, went to the polls at a local library on October 28, the first Sunday of early voting in Florida. When she arrived at 10:00 a.m., wait times were up to six hours, but determined to vote, she stood in line until 1:00p.m. After citizen advocates complained that the elderly woman was struggling on her feet, a poll worker asked Desiline to come back at a later time.
Victor returned to the polling station and on her second visit that evening, she was finally able to cast her ballot. When she emerged from the building with her “I Voted” sticker, the crowd of thousands of waiting voters erupted into applause. Several voters remarked that Desiline served as an inspiration for them to continue to stand in line until they were able to cast their own vote.
Known as “Granny” among the Haitian community in North Miami, Desiline is a spirited and independent centenarian, who enjoys attending church services and cooking her own meals.
Others who will join First Lady Michelle Obama in her box will include:
Sergeant Sheena Adams (Vista, CA), Team Advisor & Lead Instructor, Female Engagement Team
A native of Kauai, Hawaii, Sergeant Adams joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and attended recruit training in Parris Island, S.C. In 2010, Sergeant Adams joined the Female Engagement Team (FET) and was deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan from September 2010 to April 2011 in direct support of 1st Battalion 8th Marines in Musa Qal’eh District.
Alan Aleman (Las Vegas, NV), DREAM Student
Alan Aleman was born in Mexico City, Mexico. In high school, Alan watched his friends come of age – driving around town with their new licenses and earning some extra cash from their summer jobs at the mall. Although Alan knew he could not do those things because of his immigration status, he was determined to get a good education. Today, Alan is in his second year at the College of Southern Nevada. He’s studying to become a doctor and he hopes to join the Air Force. Alan is currently working at Hermandad Mexicana, where he is in charge of final review for DACA applications.
Jack Andraka (Crownsville, MD), Winner of the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
Jack Andraka, 16, of North County High School, was awarded first place for his new method to detect pancreatic cancer at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2012, a program of Society for Science & the Public.
Susan Bumgarner (Norman, OK), Early Childhood Educator
Susan Bumgarner’s home state of Oklahoma is a national leader in providing access to high quality preschool for all children, and she has been an early educator in the Oklahoma system for more than twenty years.
Deb Carey (New Glarus, WI), Small Business Owner, New Glarus Brewing Company
Deborah Carey’s decision to start New Glarus Brewing Company was rooted in doing what was best for her family. As she worked on a business plan, her husband Dan, a master brewer, gathered the materials, grains and equipment needed for start-up. In 1993 they negotiated to rent a warehouse in New Glarus, exchanging the lease for stock in the New Glarus Brewing Company. Today, New Glarus Brewing Company has grown to 50 full-time employees, and registered growth in profits of 123 percent from 2007 to 2009, becoming Wisconsin’s number one micro-brewery relative to sales volume.
Sergeant Carlos Evans, USMC (Cameron, NC), Wounded Warrior
Sergeant Evans, born in Puerto Rico, was on his fourth overseas deployment when he sustained injuries in Afghanistan that resulted in the loss of both of his legs and his left hand. Recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center, Sergeant Evans met the First Lady and later visited the White House for a Wounded Warrior Tour. At that time, the President signed his prosthetic arm. In 2012, he received a custom home from Operation Coming Home and now resides in North Carolina with his wife and two young daughters.
Tim Cook (Cupertino, CA), CEO of Apple
Before being named CEO in August 2011, Tim was Apple’s Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.
