Boston Marathon bombing survivors, a clever teen, an openly gay athlete and more notable and inspirational figures will sit with First Lady Michelle Obama at the president's State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.
The White House announced the first round of guests Monday who will be seated in a box with the first lady, Vice President Joe Biden and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. More guests are to be announced.
Here's who will get a seat of honor:
Carlos Arredondo and Jeff Bauman were captured in an iconic image from the Boston bombing. In the photo, Arredondo is shown rushing Bauman, who was badly injured, to safety. Bauman lost both legs in the attack and has inspired others with his determined recovery. He and Arredondo have become close friends.
Moore, Okla. fire chief Gary Bird and his search-and-rescue crews worked tirelessly in the wake of an EF5 tornado that hit the town in May of 2013, killing 25 people and injuring 377 others while destroying more than 1,000 homes.
Jason Collins came out in April of 2013 as the first openly gay player in major American team sports. Collins made his sexuality public in a first-person article in Sports Illustrated and was praised by President Obama for his courage. Obama said he "couldn't be prouder of Collins,'' calling it a point of progress for the LGBT community.
Joey Hudy, 16, will be the youngest guest. The Anthem, Ariz. teen, a self-described "maker," has become the youngest intern ever at Intel. Hudy came to the president's attention in 2012 when he attended the White House Science Fair and Obama launched a marshmallow across the East Room using Hudy's "extreme marshmallow cannon." The precocious student will be joined by Kathy Hollowell-Makle, who was named the District of Columbia Public School's Teacher of the Year for 2013 for her work at Abram Simon Elementary in southeast Washington, D.C.