NIU Junior Patrick Sanchez’s family is going to the White House to have dinner with first lady Barbara Bush.

The Sanchez family was chosen as one of three top Hispanic-American families in the United States.

One family from California, Texas and Illinois was chosen by the Hispanic American Family of the Year Foundation, which was started by Bush.

The award was created to provide family role models and to enhance the image and quality of family life in the United States, Sanchez said.

Two members of the family are currently attending NIU, including Pat Sanchez, political science major and Sanchez’s niece Annette Sanchez, spanish major. Sanchez’s brothers, Frank and Manny Sanchez are NIU alumni.

The Sanchezes won against six other families competing in Illinois. The seven families were honored at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Nov. 15.

The first lady was unable to attend the event, but sent a video apologizing for her absence and congratulating the finalists, Sanchez said.

“One thing that stood out was that our family was more experienced and we were a little bit older,” Sanchez said.

As each family was introduced and went on stage, video tapes of the family were shown, Sanchez said. When the Sanchez family and friends—all 100 of them—went on stage, they were announced the winning family.

“When I heard our name being called I was frozen for a few minutes and didn’t realize we won,” Pat Sanchez said.

“I didn’t think we were going to win, said NIU Junior Annette Sanchez. “I hoped that we would though.”

A $4,000 scholarship from Sears Roebuck and Co., Kraft General Foods, Ford and the Chicago Sun-Times was given to Pat Sanchez.

The scholarship was given to the immediate family and Pat Sanchez is the only one still in school. His parents will decide who will get any scholarship money left after his education.

The Sanchez family has been featured in the Sun Times, Woodstock’s Daily Herald, the Lisle Sun, the Woodstock Independent, The Hispanic Family Magazine and La Manana.

The foundation looks for families in which the parents have careers, are active in community affairs and spend time together.