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College of Education News
Students and Faculty relate personal impact of a presidential event
February 2, 2009
Dawn Thomas
Ph.D. Candidate
Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM)
On the Thursday before Barack Obama's inauguration, Dawn Thomas caught a flight out of Indianapolis. Although the event was days away, Thomas said the Hoosier airport was abuzz with talk about the inauguration, Obama, and a sense of hope permeating the country. When she arrived in D.C. even the air about the city felt different from her previous visits, Thomas said. "It was amazing."
Why did you attend the inauguration?
I wanted to attend to be a part of history. This election was an amazing achievement for our nation, which so much of the time seems to be obsessed with race. My brother lives in D.C. so I just needed to get out there--the rest was free!
How will your attending this event affect your role at the college of education?
As a doctoral candidate in early childhood special education, and an early childhood professional on campus, I have been excited about President Obama's perspective on the need and importance of early care and education for all children, particularly for those children who may be at-risk for academic failure or those with social and emotional challenges. I am excited about the possibilities for the future of early care and education, from more focused funding, better and more accurate evaluation, and/or assessment measures for children and programs, to a more solid bridge between research and practice in early childhood settings and curricula.
What was the highlight of the event?
The highlight was two-fold. On the one hand, I loved Obama's speech, as well as the entire inaugural ceremony. But, on the other hand, a high point for me was the excitement and joy evident in the people around me. Both the folks from D.C. and those from out of town were very friendly, kind, and helpful. I saw entire groups of people around me on the mall make room for an elderly woman and her two daughters who wanted to be able to see the jumbo-tron screen and be more of a part of the crowd. There was no jostling, shoving, or yelling. People simply made room as more and more people came to watch. I was by the Washington Monument and could barely see the Capitol, but it didn't matter. I was on the mall--and that was enough for me.