Local student volunteering and attending seminar for Presidential Inauguration

 

Barry University student, Jennifer Sastoque, has been selected by the Presidential Inauguration Committee to serve as a volunteer for President-elect Barack Obama’s Jan. 20th Inauguration. Sastoque will be in Washington for 10 days (Jan. 10-20, 2009) leading up to the Inauguration and will also be attending the Washington Center’s prestigious Presidential Inauguration Seminar during this time.

Jennifer is a great local contact for any interviews your station may need in Washington during Inauguration week, and will also be available for interviews after she returns. Her participation in both the seminar and as a volunteer should give her an interesting perspective into this historic event. Sastoque will also be keeping a day-by-day blog that can be made available to your station, and is found at www.barry.edu/blogs.

During the Washington Center seminar, Sastoque will be attending workshops, making site visits and meeting with local representatives. Scheduled speakers include “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer, former ABC news anchor, Sam Donaldson, a Congressional panel and Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Afternoon sessions will include site visits to Capitol Hill, executive branch offices, media organizations, and think tanks. In addition, Sastoque will be attending several special events such as reception at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and “An Evening with Mark Russell,” with the noted political satirist. The seminar in general will educate on the transition process and educate on the media’s impact on the political process. More information on the seminar is available online here: http://www.campaign2008.info/.

Inauguration tickets are not guaranteed for students attending the seminar but, by volunteering for the Presidential Inauguration Committee, Sastoque should secure a “behind-the-scenes” position. She will receive her official Inauguration assignment while in Washington on Jan. 12. Her participation with the Presidential Inauguration Committee is an independent activity she’ll be undertaking in her free time.

At Barry, Sastoque is an active senior nursing student. She is the secretary of the university’s College Republicans group, and spoke at many Barry debates and rallies leading up to the Presidential election. She has made Barry’s Dean’s List six times, and is a member and regional director for the Nursing Student Association.

Please let me know if you would like to interview Jennifer, or would like access to the blog she’ll be keeping. She can be reached on her cell phone at (305) 582-0791. While in Washington, she will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Arlington, Va. and will be available for interviews based on her schedule.