ACC Student Travels to Capitol for Inauguration

 Burnett’s Blog Highlights Washington, D.C., Experiences

Student Government President - Brad Burnett

Student Government President Brad Burnett

Austin, TX, Dec. 16, 2008 – Brad Burnett, Austin Community College honor student and president of the Student Government Association, is packing his bags for the trip of a lifetime. Burnett is heading to Washington, D.C., to experience the inauguration of Barak Obama. And, he will blog about his adventures every step of the way.

“It’ll be a real behind-the-scenes look at politics,” Burnett says. “I’ll be attending a conference during that time, and we’ll be meeting different officials, touring government institutions, and experiencing the behind-the-scenes work that makes our government function.” 

Burnett, a government major, leaves Austin on January 10 to participate in 10 days of activities hosted by the Campaign 2008 Presidential Academic Seminar Series (www.campaign2008.info) and capped by the January 20 inauguration of America’s 44th president. The trip is sponsored by the ACC Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS).

The D.C. trip hasn’t been a straight route for the former McCallum High School student. Now 23, Burnett got bored and dropped out of high school for a short period during his junior year, returning during his senior year to finish his diploma. Afterward, he worked full time before concluding he needed a college degree.

“I worked at a gas station for two years,” Burnett says. “There’s nothing wrong with pumping gas, but I knew I didn’t want to do it for the rest of my life.” 

At 21, Burnett enrolled in ACC. He joined the Student Government Association his freshman year and now serves as the organization’s president. He also belongs to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. Burnett finishes his government degree in May and plans to transfer to a four-year university and continue his studies toward a law degree.

“We wanted to give an ACC student an opportunity to experience this amazing moment in U.S. history, and Brad has been an important voice to students at the college,” says Peck Young, CPPPS director. “He shows the commitment to achieve whatever goals he sets for himself. We are happy to contribute to his future success.”

While Burnett will attend events around the inauguration he does not have a ticket to the actual event, yet. CPPPS has placed many “irons in the fire.” “We are calling all of our contacts in order to make this experience the best it can be for Brad,” Young says.

Whatever his location for the big event, Burnett will share his experiences with other ACC students. He is taking his camera and laptop and will be blogging regularly during his trip.

“I hope to learn a lot and meet a lot of cool people,” he says. “I want to share stories and show pictures of my experiences in DC.” 

Visit Burnett’s blog Brad Goes to D.C. to follow ACC Student Government Association Brad Burnett’s Washington, D.C., experiences at his blog.

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