Who is Haile Thomas, the 2013 State of the Union address guest of First Lady Michelle Obama?
The 12-year-old girl from Tucson, Arizona has received national recognition for her efforts in promoting healthy living to kids. Reducing childhood obesity, one of Michelle Obama’s top priorities, was mentioned by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union speech.
Haile Thomas serves on the youth advisory board of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. She’s also a co-founder/director of the HAPPY organization, a nonprofit dedicated to educating young people about proper nutrition and healthy life choices. She also created Healthy Girl Adventures Club to inspire her peers to embrace healthy habits.
She’s spoken at events like the the 2011 Partnership for a Healthier America Summit and the 2013 Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Conference. And the dedicated teen hosts an online cooking show featuring healthy recipes.
“When I found out I was invited, I was overly excited, and I was just blown away by the opportunity and really honored,” Haile said. “I’m just extremely excited to be part of such a historical event and to represent Arizona in Washington and represent my peers.”
