Whitefish grad looking forward to inaugural ball

By KRISTI ALBERTSON/Daily Inter Lake

Over the next few days, as part of the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference in Washington, D.C., Brielle Menegazzi will watch as Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's 44th president. She'll hear keynote speeches from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Vice President Al Gore. She'll visit historic sites around the nation's capital.

But the 2008 Whitefish High School graduate is most looking forward to the inaugural ball.

"I have a really cool dress," she said. "I'm most excited about that."

Menegazzi, a freshman at Eastern Washington University, leaves today for Washington, D.C. She said she was chosen to attend the forum after attending the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, during her junior year of high school.

The 10-day forum is intended to prepare young people for careers in medicine through a hands-on, interactive curriculum. Students meet medical professionals and discuss the issues facing medicine.

The forum also is intended to recognize young people with the potential to become leaders in their fields. To further those leadership skills, some students were singled out at the forum.

"If you had counselors that liked you at the original forum, and if you showed leadership qualities that represent the youth of America," you were asked to attend the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, Menegazzi said.

She will pay for her own ticket but will avoid the exorbitant prices some have paid. Some $3,000 will cover five days of conferences, plus the inaugural parade, the inaugural ceremony and several meet-and-greet opportunities.

"It should be a pretty exciting event," she said. "I'm pretty excited."

Despite her excitement, Menegazzi said she wasn't an Obama supporter during the election. She didn't turn 18 until December, so she didn't do the research on the presidential candidates that she would have done had she been able to vote.

"I was indifferent between the two candidates," she said. "I don't feel I did enough research."

She is interested in politics, however.

Menegazzi, a pre-med major, is studying biology at Eastern Washington. If time allows - she's also an outside hitter for the Eastern Washington volleyball team - she may consider a second major in political science or law.

"I have always been interested in politics," she said.

Menegazzi said she is excited about the opportunity to meet some of the nation's political leaders this week, particularly those who might be at the inaugural ball.

"I'll hopefully get to meet interesting people, and there's always the chance to meet the president," she said.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com