Fabens students will attend Presidential Inauguration
A group of students from the Borderland will get to witness history as the nation’s next president is sworn into office on Friday.
For eight months, students at Fabens High School fundraised thousands of dollars to pay for a trip to Washington D.C. The $1,359 price per student pays for airfare, hotel, a charter bus, tour guide and two meals everyday.
“These students worked all summer long,” said Veronica Rodriguez, a counselor at Fabens High School.
Fabens is a small community and Rodriguez said everyone from the staff at the high school to parents and members of the community supported the students’ fundraising efforts.
Students sold burritos and snacks at nearby sporting events, held garage sales and made burgers to sell to school staff members.
“We did so much,” Rodriguez said, as she went through a list of fundraisers that also involved local businesses.
The students will embark on five days of sightseeing, monuments and museums once they arrive to Washington D.C.
“Getting to experience life outside the Fabens-El Paso area is exciting for them,” Rodriguez said.
The anticipation of the trip has also brought up questions and concerns about the results of last year’s presidential race.
Rodriguez said students became more interested in the election process, asked questions, had discussions with fellow students on their opinions.
Most of the students are not old enough to vote, but took a special interest leading up to election day.
“It got me to be more involved into the electoral college, the understanding of it and how it functions,” said Armando Meza, a junior at Fabens.
Rodriguez said she never had students wanting to talk about the election in her office until last year. Some students were concerned and some even reconsidered the trip to Washington D.C.
“When the results came in, I was a little bit confused on whether i wanted to go or not, but I’m still going because it’s not the only thing we’re going for,” said Maite Chavez, a Fabens sophomore.
“I feel very excited being part of this time in our nation’s history,” said Meza.
Rodriguez and the students leave for Washington D.C. on Wednesday.
