SHARP DRESS—Eddie Melgarejo, far right, takes a break with other participants in the Congressional Youth Leadership Conference last week in Washington, D.C. Melgarejo, a senior at Royal High School, attended the presidential inauguration and listened to speeches by Colin Powell and Al Gore. Simi Valley resident Eddie Melgarejo made sure he was prepared for the biting winter cold last week on his East Coast trip to Washington, D.C., to witness the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States.

"My mom got me a huge coat and thermal undergarments—all that good stuff," Melgarejo said after he'd returned home.

Melgarejo, 17, a senior at Royal High School, was invited to attend the inauguration by the Congressional Youth Leadership Conference, which hosts the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference. The CYLC is an organization that recognizes students for their leadership and academic achievements.

On Jan. 20, the day of the inauguration, Melgarejo caught a bus from the Marriot Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Va., to Washington, D.C. After the bus stopped, Melgarejo and the other students on the trip—roughly 7,300—had to walk two miles in freezing temperatures to the U.S. Capitol Building. When they arrived, huge crowds had already started to form in front of the Smithsonian Institution.

"It was like the 5 Freeway— just packed with people," he said. "The street, from one side to the other, was completely packed. . . . It seemed almost like an endless sea of people."

Melgarejo said he strained to see President Barack Obama take the oath of office. The feeling of anticipation, he said, was everywhere.

"You could feel something in the air was going to happen," he said, "that it was something of epic proportions. . . . I was amazed at how many people actually showed up. There were kids and adults, grandpas and grandmas. I saw a little kid crying when Barack Obama spoke.

"When we were walking back, there were random chants of Obama's name. Everyone was so excited to be there; people were grinning from ear to ear. People started chanting, 'Yes, we can!' and 'Yes, we did!' and different slogans from his campaign."

During his trip, Melgarejo also attended speeches by retired Gen. Colin Powell and former Vice President Al Gore.

Melgarejo, who holds a 4.16 grade-point average, would like to attend Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo and major in aerospace engineering with a minor in international relations. A captain on Royal's varsity boys' soccer team, Melgarejo has played varsity all four seasons and patrols the midfield for the Highlanders. He said the emotions of his onceina-lifetime trip are still setting in.

"I still can't believe that I was actually there," he said.