Utah Valley University professor called to decorate White House for the holidays

Derick Fox
·3 min read
28

OREM, Utah (ABC4) — One Utah Valley University professor got the opportunity of a lifetime over the Thanksgiving weekend, being called to Washington D.C. to help decorate the White House for the holiday season.

Farah Sanders is a communications professor at UVU and is described as having “a knack for decorating.” In July, she began an extensive application process open to anyone in the U.S. to join First Lady Jill Biden and her team to prepare the White House for the holidays.

  • Farah Sanders and her husband stand in front of holiday garland she crafted by hand that decorates the White House underneath Abraham Lincoln’s portrait. (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)
    Farah Sanders and her husband stand in front of holiday garland she crafted by hand that decorates the White House underneath Abraham Lincoln’s portrait. (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)
  • Volunteers from across the country stand on the White House steps. The volunteers were called to help decorate the White House for the holidays. (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)
    Volunteers from across the country stand on the White House steps. The volunteers were called to help decorate the White House for the holidays. (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)

Over 3,000 people applied and only 150 were selected, including Sanders.

“When I told my department head about the opportunity, he immediately encouraged me to take it. Not only that but when I told my students about the opportunity, they were all so excited for me and understanding about me possibly being difficult to reach for a few days,” said Sanders.

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On the week of Thanksgiving, Sanders and her husband boarded a plane and flew over 2,000 miles to the White House in Washington D.C.

Sanders said the theme for the White House decor this year is “Magic, Wonder and Joy.” The goal was to show the “beauty and whimsy” of the holiday season from a child’s perspective. Sanders and the rest of Jill Biden’s decoration team used approximately 15,000 feet of ribbon, over 350 candles, nearly 34,000 ornaments and over 22,000 bells to bring their vision to life.

The process is very “hands-on,” with many of the decor pieces being built by hand. Sanders’ personal touches can be seen throughout a few different areas, notably the grand garland beneath Abraham Lincoln’s portrait and the wreath made from scratch that hangs over the gingerbread White House.

A handmade wreath sits over a ginger bread version of the White House (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)
A handmade wreath sits over a ginger bread version of the White House (Courtesy: Utah Valley University)

The whole experience was very rewarding for Sanders, who said she made friends with people from all across the country from all walks of life.

“To see people take that much time and care to use their expertise to show their patriotism in such a beautiful way was inspiring,” said Sanders. “Shortly after we were finished decorating, the White House hosted a dinner for military personnel and their families, so we immediately saw our service bring joy to American citizens.”

Sanders said she is especially looking forward to bringing her experience back home to her classroom and demonstrating to her students. She said she was appreciative of the support of everyone from UVU, saying their attitudes exemplified the university and how supportive its community is.

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