VIDALIA, La. &045; Ariel Rushing’s view of President Bush as he took the oath of office last week was slightly obstructed, but that’s more than most can say.

Rushing, 16, was nominated anonymously to attend the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference in D.C. last week, attend the inauguration, the presidential parade and participate in a number of other activities.

The Lead America conference included the Vidalia High junior and 399 other high school students from around the country.

&uot;We had speakers a few hours a day,&uot; Rushing said. &uot;They talked about leadership skills and how to apply them to your life and the different ways of leading.&uot;

Much of the conference time was spent participating in a presidential simulation. The students divided into two political parties, ran campaigns, elected leaders, chose cabinet members and gave speeches.

For the real inauguration, Rushing and the other participants attended the youth concert, the swearing in and the parade.

&uot;I got to see him,&uot; Rushing said of the president. &uot;The view wasn’t as good, but I got to see him.&uot;

The participants also got the chance to tour the famous Washington monuments and see the sights, something Rushing said was a highlight of the trip.

To make the trip Rushing and her family raised $1,900 from donations, a bake sale and a poinsettia sale.

In Vidalia, Rushing is the president of the Governor’s Program on Abstinence, something she helped start at the school after seeing the program elsewhere, a team captain for Relay for Life and active in BETA club, FCA, 4-H and student council.

She will be eligible to attend the leadership conference again next year, something she said she’d like to do.

Rushing said she knew of other Vidalia students who’d been invited to the conference, but never anyone who attended.