Wanda English Burnett, Editor
South Ripley junior, Kelly Borter, will be among those at the prestigious Presidential Inauguration on January 20, when President Elect Barack Obama, will take the oath of the highest office in the country and become the 44th President of the United States.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I am so grateful that I am able to be present amongst millions of individuals to watch history take its course,” Borter noted.

Since her freshmen year, Borter has been attending leadership conferences with the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC). She noted this was to “further her knowledge about political and democratic systems in today’s government. By experiencing the power of opinion, the influence of historical figures, and the inspiration of other individuals like myself, I feel that my overall outlook on life has changed for the better,” she noted.

She told The Versailles Republican that former Principal Bill Snyder was the person who helped get her in with the CYLC, and she’s thankful. “I have had wonderful experiences,” she shared. She’s already attended two conferences, one on a local level in Indianapolis, the other one in Washington, DC, where she was elected President.

The 17-year-old said she absolutely loves President Elect Barack Obama, saying, that her greatest hope is to actually get to meet him face to face, maybe even shake his hand. She noted that the President Elect wanted to be an architect, but then went into law. That is exactly where her passions lie, noting she wants to pursue a career in one or the other vocations. She said she is also truly interested in saving the earth, “going green” and feels Obama is the person to lead the country in that direction.

Borter was invited to the inauguration event by the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference. This organization provides scholars with a deeper understanding of the history behind the electoral process. The five-day program will give Borter the opportunity to explore historic sites and monuments in the nation’s capital, participate in roundtable discussions, debates and other activities to expand their knowledge of the democratic process, principles and the presidential election process. She will attend a Black Tie Gala Inaugural Ball.

The honor student will fit the experience into an already hectic schedule, but it’s something she’s happy to do. She currently serves as the 2010 class president, is a student council historian, French Club president, maintains a 4.1 GPA, runs track and cross-country for the varsity teams, helps with the Girls On The Run program and has organized a teddy bear drive for children who stay at the Ronald McDonald House. Oh, and besides that, she volunteers at the YMCA as a lifeguard and works at the Batesville Dairy Queen.

While all of these activities might make some people dizzy at the thought, this young lady is on the move. She enjoys all of the activities she’s involved with and says, “I like it this way.”

Borter didn’t get to take the exciting trip by waiting on others to foot the bill. She was active in raising the money needed for the journey. She placed donation jars in several neighboring towns and worked hard at getting the money. “I have found that those pennies make all the difference when counting donations from change jars.” She said she is truly thankful for everyone who dropped some change in her jars. She thanks her school for their support, businesses and everyone.

She is the daughter of Barry and Linda Borter of New Marion.

Editor’s note: Borter has agreed to keep a journal of her experience and we will be sharing portions of it with our readers when she returns from Washington, DC.

Kelly Borter is excited about trip to DC