A freshman honor student at North Rowan High School is participating in five days of presidential inauguration activities in Washington, D.C.
Tobi Diedre Holland, daughter of Jana McNeil of Cary and Derwin Holland of Spencer, was selected to attend the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference.
She arrived in Washington on Saturday and will be there through Wednesday.
In addition to inaugural activities, she will attend events with speakers including Gen. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State; former Vice President Al Gore and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Her selection for the conference came through her participation in the National Young Leaders State Conference in Greenville, S.C., in March 2008. She and fellow alumni of the conference will be honored as distinguished young leaders and scholars at the Inaugural Conference.
In addition to witnessing the swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, she will also attend a Black Tie Gala Inaugural Ball Tuesday night.
Holland’s group will be granted private access to the Smithsonian Institution. She will participate in presidential politics campaign strategy and observe debates between prominent political analysts from both the Republican and Democratic parties.
In addition to her parents, her grandparents are Jewell and Ralph Holland of Spencer and Allene McNeil of Salisbury.