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Naturally shy, Kathy Proctor surprised herself by shooting her arm in the air when the man in front of her biotechnology class at Forsyth Technical Community College asked if anyone had a story to share.

The man was the president of the United States.

Im not normally one to speak up in a crowd but he makes you feel very comfortable, Proctor said of Barack Obama. It wasnt, Heres the president of the United States and here I am. He was genuine.

Obama popped in on her biotechnology class on Dec. 6, 2010, as part of a visit to the college to learn more about innovation and education at a time when the country was recovering from the economic downturn.

He took his time walking around the room, stopping to chat with each lab-coat-wearing student, peering at least once into a microscope.

He was genuinely interested and asked follow-up questions, Gary Green, the president of Forsyth Tech, said.

He got a good feel for what it was like for community college students to engage with federal programs. He was not just asking public questions but actually drilling down.

Later, in front of her classmates, Proctor, then 55, told Obama that she returned to school after being laid off from her job at a furniture factory, determined to set an example for her twin daughters.

Someone on the presidents team took note of Proctors resilience.

After leaving the classroom, Obama rode in the presidential limousine with Green to the colleges west campus on Bolton Road to give a speech. En route, they passed a group of school kids from St. Johns Lutheran Church on Silas Creek Parkway, smiling and waving at the motorcade.

He commented that he never got tired of seeing that, Green said.

During his 40-minute speech, Obama called for a Sputnik moment that would re-invigorate the economy, using innovation and research.

That speech was actually a test-run for a bigger speech six weeks later, the 2011 State of the Union.

In that speech, Obama revisited the idea of a Sputnik moment, a reference to the Soviet Unions earth-orbiting satellite known as Sputnik, the development of which surprised and rattled the United States, which was years behind.

Proctor was in the crowd at the State of the Union address, after getting an invitation from the White House. She sat in first lady Michelle Obamas box and pointed to herself when Obama wove her story of reinvention into his speech.

When Obama mentioned her, Proctor mouthed, Thats me. The gesture went viral, becoming fodder for a bit on The Daily Show on Comedy Central.

Nearly six years removed from those heady days, Proctor said she was sad to see Obama leave office.

Im like that man at his farewell speech who yelled, Four more years. I think hes done a remarkable job, and I think hes a people president, Proctor said.

Being an Obama backer in ultra-red Archdale in Randolph County was not always easy.

Yeah, Ive had to defend him, but I try to avoid conflict, she said.

Whether America had its Sputnik moment may be up for debate. But Proctors life has changed plenty since that classroom meeting with the president.

Working in quality control at Herbalife in 2017, Proctor said she was making more money than she ever has.

It didnt happen overnight. Going back to school allowed me to transform my life, she said. And it gave me that new career I wanted.

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When the President came to town: 11 years ago, Barack Obama was in Winston-Salem - Winston-Salem Journal