High School Students Meet Privately with Obama
By KIM BALDONADO
Updated 2:11 PM PDT, Mon, May 4, 2009
A dream come true is how one Village Academy High School student described meeting President Barack Obama in Pomona today.
Last year, students in the schools' AP Literature and Composition class produced an emotional and thought provoking DVD called "Is Anybody Listening." The DVD features the students openly and honestly talking about the economy and how rising unemployment and foreclosure rates are affecting them and their families. "You never know that what you say can make a difference in life, it can change things. Your voice is one of your most valuable tools, we have to use it," said student Jennifer Gil.
The students put the video on You Tube with the hope that somehow it would reach the then presidential candidates. Once President Obama was elected, they worked to get the video seen by him. Their efforts paid off with the President mentioning them in a speech earlier this month. Then came the call from the White House on Wednesday, saying the President wanted to meet with the students while he was in Pomona.
The visit only lasted 4 minutes, but the students say it was enough. "Just knowing he's paying attention to our issues and problems is great, although we have a lot of work to do before change will come," said student Sonya Stewart.
First Published: Mar 19, 2009 3:06 PM PDT
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