All the President's Guests

Jan. 23, 2007 — -- It's the hottest ticket in town. Unless you're a member of Congress, the Supreme Court, or the Bush Cabinet, it might be easier to make your way to the Super Bowl than to the House chamber this evening for the president's sixth State of the Union address.

But, several special guests have found Washington's version of Willy Wonka's golden ticket and have been invited to join first lady Laura Bush as a guest of the president.

They include basketball superstar Dikembe Mutombo, New York subway hero Wesley Autrey, Tech. Sgt. Michelle Barefield, who was wounded in the Iraq War, and several more teachers, students and soldiers.

Take a look at the full guest list, including bios, just released by the White House:

Julie Aigner-Clark, founder, the Baby Einstein Company; founder, the Safe Side (Centennial, Colo.)

Julie Aigner-Clark, a homemaker and classroom teacher, founded the Baby Einstein Company in 1997, to give her own child exposure to the arts. Julie used personal savings to launch Baby Einstein, and she operated the company for its first three years from her home. In November 2001, Julie sold the Baby Einstein Company to spend more time with her children. Two years later, Julie partnered with John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted" and launched the Safe Side, an original video series that teaches young children to make good choices in potentially dangerous situations, which generates funds for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On Jan. 29, Julie will announce the Safe Side safety program's implementation in all Texas public schools, a result, in part, of her donation of an entire curriculum kit to more than 1,000 school districts statewide. In 2004, at the age of 37, Julie became a breast cancer survivor. She and her husband, Bill, have two daughters, Aspen, 12 and Sierra, 9. Julie continues to teach literature to middle school students.

Aspen Clark, Daughter of Julie Aigner-Clark (Centennial, Colo.)

Wesley Autrey, Construction Worker (New York, N.Y.)

Wesley Autrey, a 50-year-old construction worker and Navy veteran, has earned uninvited fame as the Harlem superhero. The New York resident and Vietnam veteran was awarded the Bronze Medallion on Jan. 4, 2007, by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for jumping onto the tracks to save a man who had fallen from a seizure in a New York City subway station. The Bronze Medallion is New York's highest civilian award. Mr. Autrey has two daughters, Shuqui, 6, and Syshe, 4, who both witnessed his act.

Shuqui Autrey, Daughter of Wesley Autrey (New York, N.Y.)

Syshe Autrey, Daughter of Wesley Autrey (New York, N.Y.)

Tech. Sgt. Michelle Barefield, USAF (Goldsboro, N.C.)

Tech. Sgt. Michelle Barefield served in Iraq from March to September 2006. While assigned to Baghdad International Airport, Barefield survived three IED attacks, provided first aid to a wounded comrade and successfully repulsed a coordinated small-arms attack with deadly accurate return fire from her M-16. She also led 80 explosive ordinance disposal emergency response missions. Barefield has been awarded the Bronze Star. She and her husband, Jeffrey, have two daughters, Amanda, 13, and Rachel, 6.

Pamela Battle, Parent, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Students (Washington, D.C.)

Pamela Battle, a homemaker, was among the first low-income parents to apply for scholarships under the D.C. School Choice Incentive Program, the nation's first (and only) federally funded voucher program, enacted in 2004. Her sons, ages 11 and 15, have received scholarships for all three years of the program's existence. Battle applied for the scholarships so that her sons could escape the unsafe and unchallenging environment in their public schools. She is so pleased with the program that she hosts gatherings in her home to educate other low-income parents and encourage them to apply.

The Rev. Michael Boland, President and CEO, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)

The Rev. Michael Boland and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago represent the importance of government partnerships with effective faith-based and community organizations. In 1998, Congress authorized the Veterans Affairs Loan Guarantee Program for Transitional Multifamily Housing to reduce the number of homeless veterans living in our country. The St. Leo Residence, designed and built by Catholic Charities of Chicago, is the first completed development in this loan guarantee pilot program.  St. Leo's is a multiagency holistic model of care for veterans.  St. Leo Residence was opened last week and is housing 141 veterans. In addition to the residence, which has studio apartments for transitional housing, the site will include a Department of Labor job training office, a community health center, and an adjacent home for disabled veterans.