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EVX Team Goes West Coast

It’s 11:36 Pacific Time (almost 3 AM back in Philly), and we just finished up a solid run-through of our presentation.  We all gathered in my room to have an informal practice session.  Our hotel is very low-budget, and in a neighborhood that the kids said resembles Compton, but everyone contributed to a very energetic and supportive practice session.  The students’ speeches are finally getting to the point where they are feeling comfortable and confident.  It is truly remarkable to see how far they have come in the past couple of months.

Kaya has his speech recorded in his iPod, and played it over and over on the flight to practice.  Brandon has his silky-smooth delivery down pat.  Even Leon displayed some energy.  Along with their growing confidence, it was also nice to see the kids offering each other true constructive criticism and feedback.  Mr. Boxman is a great addition to the trip, and helped keep the kids stay focused and relaxed.

The majority of our first day was spent traveling.  It was the first flight for Kaya and Leon, and they made many beginners’ mistakes…bought overpriced airport merchandise…put the tray table down too soon…and complained about everything.  But mostly it was a pain-free journey and we all arrived safe and sound.

The Northern California weather is excellent, and upon arrival we hopped in our deluxe rental van, and drove on a 5-lane highway to go 0.2 miles to eat at an In-and-Out Burger.  Tomorrow we are meeting for a morning practice, followed by a private tour of Google’s headquarters, and then we are heading to NASA’s Moffett Field Research Center for the opening ceremonies of the Spirit of Innovation Awards.

I’ll have some pictures up in the next 24 hours.  Hope all is well back home, and thanks for the support!

- Paul