On Monday evening was The Washington Center Gala, which is a really nice (black tie optional) fundraising event that TWC has held for years. I was lucky enough to be invited, and it was an amazing experience! There were over 400 people there, many of them long time donors to TWC, including the Ford Motor Company, who funded my scholarships. :) I actually was able to sit at the Ford table, right at the front, with a few of my other Ford Fellows. I was seated next to an incredibly nice lady, and we had a great time chatting during the dinner. Surprisingly, I didn't feel out of place at all! This small-town Iowa girl felt right at home among some of Washington's powerful people!
The Gala was held at the National Building Museum, which is an enormous building near the Capitol. The decor was stunning-TWC went all out! I was told by one of the ladies I talked to during the cocktail hour that only the most prestigious and important events in Washington are able to be held there. Naturally, I felt honored to be there.
It was kind of a late night for a Monday, as we didn't leave until after 10pm. As we were leaving, we were told to take one of the vases of flowers. Let me tell you, if you carry a large vase of beautiful white flowers through the Metro at 10:30...you get a lot of odd looks. :)
Pictures are coming soon!
Oh! I nearly forgot! As part of the Ford Fellows program, we were asked to attend a luncheon with a few Ford executives on Monday, before Gala. We went to a great Italian restaurant downtown, and were served an incredible lunch. I happened to sit in the right seat and sat next to Ziad Ojakli, who is a Group Vice President at Ford! So I was able to talk with him for quite awhile and it was pretty neat.
Monday was a great day overall. 2 three course meals...which both were amazing! And I was able to meet some really nice, amazing people. I love DC.
-Jen
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