By Sarah Nagem

snagem@salisburypost.com

Brittany Moore has big plans — she hopes to study law at a prestigious school and eventually put bad guys in prison.

But first, she wants to see Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

Moore, 21, has been granted that wish. She will be on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as the country's first black president takes office Jan. 20.

"This is the biggest historical event of my generation's time," Moore said.

Moore will attend the inauguration as an alumna of the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law. She attended the program in Washington in 2003, during her junior year at West Rowan High School.

On that trip to the nation's capital, Moore learned the ins and outs of the justice system. And she got to experience Washington, which she had visited only once before.

"I loved it," she said. "It was beautiful."

Moore worked hard in high school and earned A's, her mother, Cori Overcash, said.

"She was the cheerleader," Overcash said. "But academics were always her first priority."

After high school, Moore headed to Western Carolina University. She is on track to graduate next fall with degrees in criminal justice and psychology and a minor in political science.

Moore said her good grades at Western Carolina made her eligible to attend the University Presidential Inaugural Conference this month.

Moore will fly to Washington on Jan. 17 and meet up with other Youth Leadership alumni.

She will meet White House officials, witness the inaugural parade and attend a gala inaugural ball.

Moore likely would have been excited about the opportunity regardless of which candidate won the presidential election.

But since she voted for Obama, the occasion might be extra special.

Moore said she liked Obama's plans for the struggling economy as well as education and health care.

"He's very intelligent, an eloquent speaker," she said.

He also was an attorney, just as Moore hopes to become. Obama graduated from Harvard Law School and worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago before entering politics.

Moore hasn't started applying to law schools yet. But she already works as an intern in the prosecutor's office in Asheville.

Her father, Ron Moore, is a defense attorney in Asheville.

"He used to take me to his office when I was little," Moore said. "That's kind of where it all started."

Ron Moore said he is proud of his daughter — and also a little pleased that she wants to follow in his footsteps.

"I didn't try to push her in that direction," he said. "I didn't discourage her, either."

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