Washington D.C.

Last Wednesday, Matt and three of his Marine Robotics students flew halfway across the country to Washington D.C.

Due to their work creating submersible remotely operated vehicles for Isle Royale National Park, Matt's students won the 2012 National Park Service Hartzog Award for outstanding volunteer service in the youth group category.  The park service paid to fly two people to the capitol and the High School Enterprise (HSE) program paid for the other two.  They also paid to send an MTU professor in charge of the HSE program, who was familiar with the area and promised to take them on a tour.  

The ceremony featured a several-course meal, including this dessert in an edible chocolate bowl.  I'm still disappointed that he didn't smuggle one onto the plane for me. 

Eventually a video of the ceremony will be posted here. In the meantime, there's a picture of Matt and his class on Isle Royale, taken last spring. 

During the awards ceremony, an official apologized for arriving late, stating that he'd just come from the White House.  It was a reminder to both Matt and the students that this award was a pretty special thing.  As Matt said, it's not everyday you hear someone say they've just come from the White House.

The White House was within walking distance of their hotel.

Oh, and who would have thought of visiting the Smithsonian to find Ontonagon copper?  The world feels rather small...