Mountain Pointe grad heading off to inauguration

For many 19-year-olds, next Tuesday will just be another day.

But for John Pedraza, it will be the culmination of five days in Washington D.C., topped off by watching the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and a black-tie inaugural ball that evening.

But dancing isn't the only thing the Mountain Pointe High School graduate will be doing in Washington.

Pedraza will also be participating and attending activities and seminars with political consultants and power-couple James Carville and Mary Matalin, plus former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Vice President Al Gore, Jr. All thanks to the University Presidential Inauguration Conference, which invited him to attend.

For Pedraza, who attends Arizona State University on an Army ROTC scholarship, the program fits nicely with his political science major.

"I like politics. I consider it the highest level of community service someone can do." Pedraza said.

The conference brings university students from around the country to the Capitol to participate in the inauguration and to learn more about issues facing the country.

While he is looking forward to the inauguration ball, his parents continue to remind him about the weather.

"My parents keep reassuring me it will be cold, but I'm not worried," Pedraza said.