The Gala

The winners of the the 2011 AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Award (AAIA = American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics).  My mom teaches at a fabulous magnet school focused on aerospace in the Twin Cities, and I'm just proud to bits of all the hard work she has done over the years for her students.  She's a rockstar. 

My mom and brother, looking quite gorgeous and dapper.

 The best picture of the three of us, and alas, my hair looks terrible and you can't even see the dress in full.  I swear I looked more put together in person, and the plum color was really just lovely.  Thanks to the lovely Lorenna for her pattern-drafting and sewing expertise...I could not have done it without you!

Dinner was incredible - curry soup, field green salad, beef tenderloin and dungeness crab with a risotto cake, and then a strawberry basil napoleon that was a bit, uh, grassy.  But interesting!  I just like ice cream better, I think.

The night went on with meeting notable aerospace pioneers (Buzz Aldrin) as well as lesser-known folks like the dean of engineering at the Air Force Academy, heads of departments within NASA, and other notables that help aerospace continue to develop here in the US.  My favorite person was an astronaut's widow that is leading a major effort to reinvigorate aerospace education.  She was a whirling dervish of activity, meeting people, smiling, and loving every minute of it.  

And the best moment of the night?  After many speeches, many awards to academics, military leaders, and researchers at companies, the teachers received the only standing ovation.  Cheers to that.