It was absolutely amazing. Words cannot express how honored I was to represent our school and represent our country for the holidays.”

Elizabeth Harden, Katy ISD teacher

While Katy-area families were busy setting up their Christmas trees and arrangements, one Katy ISD teacher helped set those arrangements at the White House.

Elizabeth Harden is a gifted and talented teacher at Rhoads, Leonard, and McRoberts Elementary schools. This is her fifth year and Katy, and 25^th overall in the profession.

“I have a friend that lives in DC, and she asked me about it over the summer,” Harden said. “She said, I know there’s an opportunity to help decorate the White House. In October, I filled out an application to help decorate. I learned in November that was accepted.”

As a volunteer, Harden paid her own way to Washington. She underwent a full security check, and was tested for COVID-19 every day she worked at the White House.

Harden was part of a team that worked in the Blue Room, which is one of the public rooms the public gets to see on White House tours. There, she said, they helped decorate the big tree that represents all the states and US territories. The tree featured decorations of birds that represented each state and territory.

Harden helped make nests that went on the tree. She also helped paint birdhouses. It was very much a nature-oriented theme, she said.

Harden said the White House notified the decorator supervising the project in September that she had been selected for the job. Harden said the decorator wanted the décor to show that one could make similar arrangements at home.

“She created the birds herself and brought them with her,” Harden said. “As we were finishing, we had to help fill in empty spots. The theme of the room was unity and hope.”

Harden said the White House has total 77 total trees set up for the holidays, and she worked on several of them.

Harden was able to see all of the Christmas arrangements. She saw the White House library, Green Room, Vermeil Room, Red Room, and the diplomatic rooms. The volunteers had their breakfasts and lunches in the State Dining Doom. The rooms all feature portraits of former presidents and first ladies.

“The first lady portraits are just beautiful,” Harden said. “Words cannot even express. That what was amazing to me about the whole experience. We got to see the other rooms. We got to go on the main floor and the first floor.”

Harden said she and her fellow volunteers did not see the family quarters, located on the second floor. Nor did they see the West Wing, which features the president’s Oval Office.

At one point, First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the volunteers to the White House. Harden said she did not meet Biden, but was about 10 feet away from her.

“It was amazing to feel her energy from that close,” Harden said. “She was very grateful and thankful to all of us for what we did.”

Harden said this was her first visit to the White House.

“The experience was amazing because my dad was an Army veteran,” Harden said. “He was a Vietnam veteran, and I was able to honor his legacy. I lost my mom two years ago to COVID. To honor her and her memory, to be able to go into the White House and have fellowship with all the other people, was very meaningful for me.”