Closeup
Students experience history in the making
Two Decatur High School students received grants from the Decatur Education Foundation to help cover the costs of traveling to Washington D.C. for the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Eilis Gehle, a freshman, and Vincent Antinozzi, a junior, joined 31 other Decatur High School students to attend the inauguration as part of the Close Up program. Both received $500 Student EdVenture grants, which the Foundation awards students to help them gain valuable education experiences.
Most of the DHS students who traveled to D.C. worked last summer and fall to raise money for the trip, which cost $2,400 per student. Gehle and Antinozzi were among seven students who applied for DEF’s Student EdVenture grants.
“I’d never been to Washington before,” Gehle said, adding that the swearing-in ceremony was a moment she will never forget. “You could see all of these people waving flags – and to see that many people who cared about our country and president was just amazing.”
Chris Billingsley, a DHS social studies teacher, said the students participated in programs from 8:30 in the morning until 10 at night. They staged a mock presidential campaign and election, visited a number of area attractions and attended the Close Up inaugural ball.
EdVenture scholarship recipients complete an application that details their interest in a subject matter and why they would benefit from the trip, as well as submit two teacher recommendations. DEF awards as many as five scholarships per trip, depending on available funding.
Click Programs for more information on DEF’s EdVentures program.
