Grace Boardwine, a senior at Lord Botetourt High School, was one of the 15 percent of 65,000 applicant volunteers that made their way to Washington this past week for the presidential inauguration.

Boardwine having always had an interest in politics is a volunteer for the Obama campaign for the Bedford office. She headed to Washington last Thursday for training which she mentioned was broken down by events. The volunteers were shown proper etiquette, check points, and how to instruct guests attending the ball. She helped with both the Commander in Chief Ball and the Inaugural Ball which were both held at the Washington Convention Center just about Chinatown in D.C.

Though she was not able to actually attend the balls herself, Boardwine claimed that she noticed that for the Commander in Cheif Ball there were mostly military guests and for the Inauguration Ball there were a range of political officers and outside guests. President Obama made his way back and forth between the two.

Boardwine said that her field work advisor and all the field work advisors from across the country for this campaign were invited to attend the Inauguration Ball. Excited to share her experience she mentioned that she met a senator and could see President Obama and Beyonce’s motorcades. She claimed that everything was blocked off and this is where her job came in which involved a lot of walking but she stressed that it was worth the experience.

In an interview with Boardwine she seemed very passionate about politics. With plans to attend Virginia Tech next fall, she hopes to double major in Environmental Science and Political Science. Her interests mainly lie within environmental issues and she plans to stay involved with political campaigns on a state and national level.

As President of Key Club, President of NHS and a member of Honors Society along with working for the Obama Campaign and the Mountain Castle Soil and Water, Boardwine stays busy. But with these impressive experiences under her belt I think it is safe to say she would be a wise addition to the Virginia Tech campus. After all, she substitutes two of her regular curriculum high school classes for virtual AP classes in Environmental Science and Human Geography. She claims that she loves her classes and they are fun.

Boardwine is certainly a fine example for her peers and a good role model for rising high school students. Her eagerness to learn is something that is hard to come by and her ambition toward her passions has allowed her great opportunities such as the one to help with the Inauguration. One in fifteen percent may seem like a small number but Boardwine has proven that one can go a long way.

You can view photos from Grace’s experience in the slideshow or in a different view by clicking here.

Emily Plecker, Special to The Botetourt View