He could certainly use some real time with a group of bright and motivated youngsters, though!
This is not the event for such a meet up. DS recognized a few kids from his other activities like chess club, ensemble etc standing in the lobby outside and talked to them. The award ceremony itself consisted of a long line of kids (few hundreds) walking on stage, posing with the pin that they handed out (the certificate was mailed home to everyone) for 30 seconds and walking off. So, I am not sure if there was any worth to it. Many families brought grandparents and cousins to the event and had a lot of fun photographing the event.
