January 22, 2009

Almaden Times Inauguration reporter in D.C.

The Almaden Times had its own reporter in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration on Jan. 20.

Spencer Nitkey

Spencer Nitkey, a seventh grader at Bret Harte Middle School, went to the nation’s capital to see Barack Obama’s inauguration and the sights. The 11-year-old was invited by the Junior Pres-idential Youth Inaugural Conference last summer and jumped at the chance to attend.

“It’s going to be great, there will be 1,700 kids,” he said. While he wasn’t sure if any of his friends from the Junior National Young Scholars Program were going to be there, he said it didn’t really matter, he’s just happy to be able to go. The students are scheduled to meet with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore and Erik Weihenmayer, who climbed Mount Everest.

Nitkey was one of two students chosen in by Graystone Elementary School principal for that program nearly four years ago. He has attended the summer program three times; the first and third times he went to the Washington, D.C. campus and his second year he attended a program at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

An active straight A student, Nitkey likes to play football and do Tai Quan Do. He also plays guitar, listens to rock and rap music and likes to read. He hasn’t decided what he wants to do with his life yet, but he’s looking into several areas. Who knows, maybe someday he’ll be President Nitkey.

Look for Spencer’s report on his trip, especially the inauguration in next week’s Almaden Times Weekly.