There aren’t too many folks who are lucky enough to get an invite to the White House and have an opportunity to meet the President of the United States. Well, Cypress High School student Kayla Briet recently had that opportunity.
To Briet, it was a chance of a lifetime to meet and high-five President Barack Obama. Briet, a senior at Cypress, stamped her plane ticket to the nation’s capital when she was selected as a finalist in the first ever White House Student Film Festival contest.
There aren’t too many folks who are lucky enough to get an invite to the White House and have an opportunity to meet the President of the United States. Well, Cypress High School student Kayla Briet recently had that opportunity.
To Briet, it was a chance of a lifetime to meet and high-five President Barack Obama. Briet, a senior at Cypress, stamped her plane ticket to the nation’s capital when she was selected as a finalist in the first ever White House Student Film Festival contest.
That’s a pretty impressive achievement for someone who didn’t train her hands for video and movie-making until her sophomore year. Since then, Briet has made over a dozen videos; some based on science, and some are featured around technology and others around music. Her latest video, however, outshines them all.
Briet was chosen for her video infusing an education platform blended in with technology. According to the White House website, it received over 2,500 submissions. The White House Student Film Festival centered on why technology is important in the classroom.
“I’m very passionate about the arts and science,” Briet said. “This one (video) is promoting technology in the classroom. I had to talk to a lot of my friends and my classmates…I did all of the writing for the video. I think that science and education is storytelling. Science establishes critical thinking and creates new ideas. I think that creativity and science go hand-in-hand. I really love science…I’m trying to invent new things.”
Briet said she spent about 12 hours editing and 12 hours reporting on her science video. Briet is a self-confessed science geek. She has a heart for the arts as well as science and wants to be able to incorporate both into her life as she makes the transition to college.
“I always love to inspire others,” Briet said. “Technology gives us the ability to learn. More importantly, it gives us the ability to see the world and see other cultures.”
Seeing the world in a more rounded and bigger scope could have a lot to do with Briet’s exposure to the arts and other cultural environments. Briet’s grandfather is a space engineer. Her father, Gary Wiskigeamatyuk, is a Native American with a linage rich in historical foundings. Wiskigeamatyuk currently performs a Native American show at Knott’s Berry Farm.
Briet has found her own way in the world, determined to make her mark to help others. In the meantime, she can always brag about going to the White House and slapping palms with President Obama.
“He was such a gentleman,” Briet said. “He walked into the room and gave his famous smile. It was crazy. It was surreal. He was super nice. He gave all of us a high-five. I was super nervous. It was very nerve-wrecking. It was the most nerve-wrecking experience of my life.”
