Chris (far right) with President Barack Obama in the Wolstein Pavilion Conference Center Green Room at CSU on February 22, 2011 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).

Along with several other students, Chris was invited to join a youth round table at the Wolfstien Center at Cleveland State University with Kaplen Modi, Liaison to Young Americans from the Office of Public Affairs at the White House. The meeting covered many topics, as Chris states, “Mr. Modi covered the views of President in regards to young Americans in our economy, and how they play an essential role in the future of America. Mr. Modi then heard our thoughts and opinions on what we were doing as young leaders of our community and what our ideas were to create new jobs, to fuel the economy…this was the main point throughout the meeting. In the last 10 minutes of the meeting, President Obama walked in, we all stood up and he shook our hands and sat down and he made himself available to hear the most important issues we had previously covered. Three of the students spoke to him; I was one. I told him about how good CSU was doing in terms of veterans and I mentioned how beneficial veterans can be on the community and for the economy in the future with their education provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill.”

Tillman Military Scholar Chris Rushin (left corner) listens as President Barack Obama speaks with the Young Engagement Roundtable at the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business at CSU  in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 22, 2011. This photo was the “picture of the day” from the White House website (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).