MKA students to attend the Presidential Inauguration
Thousands and thousands of young people will be crowding the streets of Washington D.C. to witness history in the making at the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, and among them will be nine students from The Montclair Kimberley Upper School. Some, like junior Nicole Nelson-Ogaard, are attending with their families, and some are going with organized student programs, but all are enjoying an excused (temporary) absence from the first day of mid-term exams!
Sophomore Rafi Bildner was invited to attend the five-day Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, after attending the National Young Leaders State Conference in Princeton last spring. “After receiving the invitation, I immediately accepted, as I knew it would be a once in a lifetime experience, and most importantly, after working in the Obama campaign extensively, I knew that I could simply not miss out on the inauguration!” explains Bildner, who will also see freshman Michael Borges at the conference.
Juniors Adrienne Bond and Christina Gonsalves were selected to represent New Jersey at the Lead America Presidential Youth Leadership Conference in recognition of their academic achievements and leadership potential, while classmate Sheridan Watson was one of 2000 delegates from around the country selected to attend the Inauguration as part of the People to People Student Ambassadors program. For junior Tyler Daniels, attending with his family, the experience will involve some work as he assists with the VIP check-in at the Hawaii State Society Ball, while sophomore Melissa Minton will be enjoying some bird's eye view experiences thanks to her sister, Stacey (MKA '08) who attends George Washington University.
For those students attending with formal programs, activities include witnessing the swearing-in, attending the parade and an inaugural ball, listening to speeches from world-famous leaders, debating current world issues with their peers and participating in other politics-related activities. “I am unbelievably excited to go,” concludes Bildner. “When I started working in the campaign, Obama becoming President was simply a dream. Now, two years later, it’s a reality, and I will see him take the oath of office which will be a stunning experience ... I know it's one I will never forget.”
And while not actually in Washington, the entire MKA student body, Pre-K-12, will have the opportunity to watch this historic Inauguration at school on the 20th, as each campus gathers together in special assemblies to view live TV coverage of the events.