On January 20, students, faculty and staff of Palo Alto College gathered in the Student Center Annex to witness the inauguration of the nation’s first African- American president.

While most of us watched Barack Obama’s inauguration on television, one very fortunate student from Palo Alto, Teresa Sanchez, a freshman Liberal Arts major, was able to physically behold this significant occasion.

Sanchez was given the opportunity to attend the inauguration through a contact she made while doing volunteer work at her parish, St. Leo the Great. She seemed almost speechless while trying to describe the crowd’s atmosphere.

“The mood was… electrifying,” Sanchez said. “The crowd was diverse and friendly … Some you could tell were rich people, middle class and a lot of young people.”

At a time when it seems like change is the answer to our economic problems, Sanchez believes that Obama is the one to represent not just one specific group of people but all walks of life for the well-being of our country. She said Obama’s speech was compelling and moving, full of promises that a broken nation needed to start the healing process.

“He gives us hope,” Sanchez said.

Growing up in a small town just east of San Antonio, Sanchez dealt with discrimination in high school that dissuaded her from furthering her education. As a result of her family’s encouragement and her motivation to better the community, Sanchez decided to pursue her education at the age of 55.

Prejudice is something that many people encounter at some point in their lifetime, whether it is because of their age, race or gender. Witnessing a minority being elected to the presidency should serve as a symbol of hope and courage, Sanchez thinks. She hopes Obama’s election will be the beginning of an age where bias will not exist. The color of our skin, our gender or our language and how we speak should no longer be an obstacle on the way to pursuing our dreams. She also believes that people now have someone to truly believe in because Obama has come from where many of us have come from as a minority group.

Sanchez’s instructor of counseling and student development, Larry Rodriguez, had her journal her experiences while she was in Washington. “What this means to me is, I can do it,” she wrote.

Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzmán, the president of Palo Alto, attended three inaugural balls in Washington, D.C., with her husband Gilberto Ocañas, who is on the Democratic National Committee. Guzmán was honored for being one of the “Leaders Making a Difference” at the LINK-live Presidential Inaugural Gala. She was recognized for her commendable effort and support of technology by the Life, Information, Nature, Knowledge (LINK) Americas Foundation.

Like the rest of us, Guzmán watched the inauguration via television, but she said it was as if she could feel the crowd. Guzmán believes that President Obama will make a “huge impact” on colleges and universities. She said he knows how hard students have to work and has certainly set that example for students.

“It’s time for a new generation to take over,” Guzmán said.

Government Professor Oliver Jones trusts that President Obama is prepared to represent our country. He believes Obama’s victory was the result of sacrifices made during the Civil Rights movement, which is something that should not be taken for granted.

“I didn’t have any doubt that a member of a nonwhite minority group could become president of the United States,” Jones said.

He believes that Obama’s plan to support students who want to attend college in exchange for community work can improve colleges because it offers educational opportunities to those who have not been able to afford it. Jones reasoned that this plan can open the door to more students, which will raise the demand for more faculty and staff.

Monique Bonney, a Medical Examiner freshman at Palo Alto College, is just as hopeful. She said, “I never thought I would see a man of color elected president. It just goes to show that this nation has potential to be a united one.”

Among students, the topic of our new president brings forth an energetic discussion full of feelings, ideas and opinions. “I’m excited for change just like everybody else. Time will tell what he has in store for us,” said Molly James, a Fine Arts freshman.