The White House revealed Obama's guests as individuals representing the progress the administration has made since the president's first State of the Union address seven years ago.

"Their stories -- of struggle and success -- highlight where we have been and where America is going in the future, building on the best of what our country has to offer," described the White House in a statement. "The guests personify President Obama's time in office and most importantly, they represent who we are as Americans: inclusive and compassionate, innovative and courageous."

A DREAMer & Veteran:

The first lady invited Oscar Vazquez, who came as an immigrant from Mexico to the U.S. at age 12. Vazquez became a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) student, leading a group of Latino high school students to an underwater robotics competition. Competing against an MIT team, Vazquez's team won. He continued the STEM field into college, attending Arizona State University, however, he did not have legal status in the U.S.

Due to not having legal status, Vazquez was unable to secure employment. He would return to Mexico to apply for a visa, but based on current U.S. laws, he would have to wait 10 years to pursue this process. He would receive help from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who sought to authorize young immigrants -- who qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program -- to enroll in the military.

Vazquez was able to obtain a waiver, which expedited his visa process, and finally received a green card. Six months later, he enlisted in the military, and served in one tour in the Army in Afghanistan.

In May 2014, Vazquez testified in Durbin's Senate hearing.

Durbin also spoke about Vazquez during a Senate floor speech.

Vazquez has since become a U.S. citizen and works as a business analyst for a web app development team for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railways. He has also become an advocate of expanding STEM opportunities for Latinos and under-represented youth.

Vacant Seat

Among the nearly two dozen guests, the White House announced a seat will be vacant to represent the victims of gun violence "who no longer have a voice -- because they need the rest of us to speak for them." The vacant seat comes a week after President Barack Obama announced his executive actions on gun control, which expanded background checks.

Also joining Mrs. Obama is Syrian refugee Refaai Hamo. He received refugee status and currently lives in Troy, Michigan, and was recently featured in the Humans of New York website.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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