Meet Kathy Pham, a Guest of the First Lady at the State of the Union

Kathy Pham is joining the First Lady as a guest at the 2015 State of the Union address on January 20. Watch it live at 9 p.m. ET at WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU.

KATHY PHAM

Kathy, a computer scientist, has used technology throughout her career to tackle pressing challenges. From Google to IBM to Harris Healthcare Solutions, she's designed health care interoperability software, studied disease trends with data analytics, and built data warehouses for hospital.

Now, she's a part of the U.S. Digital Service, where her technology background unites with her passion for public service.

This passion and commitment is rooted in her family's story: Kathy's parents came to America in pursuit of a better life. Her mother received the critical cancer treatment that she needed, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Her brother earned the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan.

As a member of the U.S. Digital Service, she's working to improve health IT for more Americans, expand veterans' access to benefits, and transform how government provides services to families like her own.

The State of the Union 2015: Everything You Need to Know

• Watch the exclusive enhanced speech live at WH.gov/SOTU on Tuesday, January 20, at 9 p.m. ET.
• Visit WH.gov/SOTU to sign up for speech reminders, ask a question for post-speech follow-up, and get updates on the issues.
• The White House Is Open for Questions: Get Ready for Big Block of Cheese Day 2.0
• Share which issue you'd most like to see progress on in the time we have left.
• Be sure you get all the latest updates by following the White House on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.