Two Puebloans join Mrs. Obama for lunch

Hannah Romero and Marissa Guerrero were invited to first lady's mentoring initiative kickoff.

By GAYLE PEREZ
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

What's it like to have the nation's first lady be your mentor?

"It was really cool," Hannah Romero, 17, said Friday. "She was a good speaker, very energetic and she really meant what she was talking about.

Hannah, a Dolores Huerta Preparatory High senior, and Marissa Guerrero, a senior at East High School, were among 80 teenage girls who were invited to lunch with first lady Michelle Obama on Monday in Denver as Mrs. Obama launched her new mentoring initiative.

The first lady chose Denver to kick off her nationwide program aimed at keeping kids in school by stressing the importance of mentoring education. Hannah, the daughter of Samuel and Resa Romero, said she was one of only five Girl Scouts in the state invited to attend the luncheon.

Marissa could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The girls were feted to lunch at the governor's mansion, which included talks by Mrs. Obama and Colorado's first lady Jeannie Ritter.

Hannah, 17, said she was inspired by what Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Ritter had to say.

"She talked to us about mentoring other students so we can be mentors," she said. "They told us to think about our futures and where we want to go."

In addition to the speeches by Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Ritter, there were other female mentors seated at the tables with the students to offer them advice and mentoring instruction.

Among those who attended were actress Susan Sarandon; Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services; Hilda Solis, labor secretary; astronaut Ellen Ochoa and EPA administrator Lisa Jackson.