Kathleen Hughbanks, a Boeing flight inspector, might very well have been correct when she said that introducing President Barack Obama would be the “most exciting introduction of my life.” Certainly, this has been the most exciting story I have covered to date.

On Feb. 17, President Obama spoke at Boeing in Everett, the first standing president to do so in nearly two decades. Having heard of the President’s visit early the week before, I reached out to contacts in Washington, D.C., and, after many e-mails, found myself in attendance at this closed-to-the-public event.

I arrived at Boeing just after 7 a.m. Friday morning to join other bleary-eyed journalists four-and-a-half hours prior to the President’s remarks.

Clutching my coffee in one hand and my camera in the other, I waited for an hour out in the cold, a half-hour on the buses and then three hours in the hangar to hear his half-hour speech. It was well worth it.

Mr. Obama spoke on manufacturing and the economy, commending congress for passage of the payroll tax extensions while calling on them to act further and send him tax reform legislation — expected rhetoric from a President running for re-election on the basis of a “do-nothing” congress.

He thanked Boeing employees for their hard work and for production of the 787 Dreamliner, which he heralded as “the plane of the future.”

Through all this, the President seemed particularly entertained by the automatic dimmer technology in the Dreamliner’s windows.

“This is pretty spiffy,” he said to reporters while touring the facility.

It’s comments like this that characterize Mr. Obama’s style. He speaks with an eloquence that is humorous yet inspiring, casual yet authoritative. He weaves together colloquialisms with down-to-earth comments, commending Americans for their hard work while reminding them that “we’ve still got a long way to go.”

From his infectious smile to his joking mannerisms, to his invigorating comments, I found myself quickly enthralled by the President’s words.

“America is a place where we can always do something to create new jobs and new opportunities and new manufacturing and new securities for the middle class,” he said. “That’s why we’re here.”

For many, the President is a symbol of a divided America, but after listening to him speak, I feel he represents a unifying figure, able to precisely command a crowd and instill a sense of nationalistic pride. For those in attendance, watching him wave and then jog down the steps of a Dreamliner prior to speaking is a moment not soon to be forgotten.

For many, the days will have continued to unfold; history will have come and gone. But to me, last Friday will remain one when the President became more than just a figure on a television screen, he became a friendly face, a wide smile and a relatable leader.

Austin Wright-Pettibone is an Inglemoor High senior and Kirkland resident.