First lady Michelle Obama announced the guests she invited to her husband's State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The first lady's guests traditionally represent issues, policies and achievements the White House wants to highlight.

The guests include Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone, one of five men who thwarted a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train over the summer; a Syrian refugee who fled the intense violence of the Middle East and brought his family to Michigan; Ryan Reyes, whose partner died in the San Bernardino, California attack; and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a prominent gun control advocate.

There will also be one empty seat in the first lady's box, which the White House says represents victims of gun violence.