Student shares video revealing Barack Obama's sweet gesture from 13 years ago

The ultimate validation for a fan is being acknowledged by a famous personality who they follow and are inspired by. Several people across the United States have a lot to say to their Presidents and have the option to write letters to get the attention of the most powerful person in the world, but few get a response. For Kristina Sumolang, a nursing student at San Diego State University, the validation came when she was just a first-grader in 2011, and she decided to share this memory on the internet years later. As a child, she sent her children's book Flat Stanley to the then U.S. President Barack Obama, and to everyone's surprise, she got a response. Sumolang, who goes by @kristinasumolang on TikTok, shared the contents of the letter she received from the White House 13 years ago with viewers.

As part of a first-grade project, Sumolang had to send a popular book character "Flat Stanley" to a family member or friend living far away, as per People. When her dad suggested she send him to President Obama, the first-grader was up for it. A few weeks after sending the Flat Stanley, Sumolang's teacher received a mail from the White House that had signed pictures of Obama and his family, a worksheet, and information about the President's daily routine told from his pet dog Bo's point of view. There was also a letter from Obama in which he mentioned, "Thank you for sending Flat Stanley to the White House. I am pleased to report that he worked hard, listened carefully, and had a lot of fun!" 

The letter spoke about how Flat Stanley tagged along with the President during his daily activities. "It came in this nice manila envelope, First Class. It was so cool and I remember everyone was so excited. The letter had worksheets and a letter from President Obama. I got to take it home since it was my Flat Stanley, and I've always kept it," the 20-year-old nursing student told the news channel. Obama also offered some pearls of wisdom in his letter to the students speaking about how significant the basic skills that we learn at school are in life.  

"He (Flat Stanley) told me how surprised he was by the important role reading, writing, math, and science all play in my job. As a lifelong student, and as President, I use these skills every day. I can tell you with certainty that whatever path you choose, the things you learn in school and the extra reading and exploration you do after school will always be helpful to you in your life," the letter read. Sumolang still feels nostalgic about the day she received this letter from the White House and how "excited" she and her classmates were.

What made the letter so special was that Sumolang had just moved to a new town that year. "Looking back now, it was really sweet. It's nice to know some adults cared about you and what you were doing when you were a kid, especially someone like the president," she told the news channel. "At that young age, it meant a lot to be recognized. You feel super cool and I never forgot it. I'm 20 and even though it was so long ago, I still feel like it made a huge impact on a little school project. It definitely made an impact on me and now as someone who has grown up, it's still something I'm proud to share," she added.

You can follow Kristy (@kristinasumolang) on TikTok for lifestyle content.