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Good afternoon everyone,

Last week at the White House, the President and First Lady welcomed President Lee Myung-Bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-Ok of the Republic of Korea for a state visit. During their visit, President Lee held a joint press conference with President Obama, and Mrs. Kim Yoon-Ok visited Annandale High School in Virginia with Mrs. Obama.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for photographs with President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok following their arrival at the North Portico of the White House for the State Dinner, Oct. 13, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

You can check out how the White House kitchen prepared for the State Dinner and used local foods, including squash from the White House Kitchen Garden. As a first generation Korean-American, it was a really meaningful week for me and my family and served as yet another reminder of what a truly special place the White House is.

On Sunday, President Obama and the First Family joined tens of thousands of spectators for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication. During his remarks President Obama explained, “That is why Dr. King was so quintessentially American — because for all the hardships we’ve endured, for all our sometimes tragic history, ours is a story of optimism and achievement and constant striving that is unique upon this Earth.” You can watch the full remarks here.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and Marian Robinson tour the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial before the dedication ceremony in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

While many of us did not live through the defining moments of Martin Luther King Jr.’s journey, we do live in his legacy and reap the benefits of his actions every day. This memorial is a powerful reminder that change is a process rooted deep in the history of this country and a tribute to the work that millions of Americans are doing every day to create positive change in their communities. In America, anything is possible.

And now for the weekly update:

Call of the Week

Last week the White House Office of Public Engagement held calls with senior staff to give updates on the American Jobs Act. While the American Jobs Act was not passed in the Senate, the need for it remains vital and President Obama will not give up fighting for jobs for teachers and first responders and the help that many young entrepreneurs need.

For the Win

Andrea de Avila, a school teacher at St. Edmund School in Oak Park, IL, helped develop the big idea to transform the roof of her school into a green space for everyone to share. Andrea kindly shares with us the story behind her big idea.

Women Working to do Good

Last week we launched a new blog series entitled “Women Working to do Good” in conjunction with the website HelloGiggles. The first blog, Wonder Woman in the Los Angeles Volunteer World, highlights Birte Klug an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Outreach and Support Assistant at 826LA West.

The Week Ahead

President Obama is on a three-day bus tour in North Carolina and Virginia this week. The first stop of the bus tour was in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find out more about where the President will be today and track his stops on whitehouse.gov.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

R.Cho