CANUTILLO--- He's packed, ready to go and on his way to witness history.
Steven Olivas, 12, arrived in Washington D.C. Saturday to attend Tuesday's Inauguration.
"I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It's my first time this far away from home alone," he said. "I think it's kind of cool to see the first black president to get sworn in."
But Steven almost didn't make the class trip, organized by teachers at Canutillo Middle School.
"We heard about it late, so we had to fund raise in about a month and I was the very last person to get in," he said.
The trip will last a week, with another excursion to New York City, making for a costly adventure.
So Steven and 30 other classmates banded together. Along with family and friends, they put on car washes, yard sales, and bake sales. They also got sponsors like Auto Zone and Albertson's to help raise money.
All the help paid off; as Steven was able to raise enough money to afford the trip.
"If there's ever an opportunity for your kid to do this kind of thing, either through church, through missions or travel abroad do whatever you can to allow your kids to witness things firsthand," said A.J. Olivas, Steven's father.
It's a lesson Steven already appreciates.
"I can tell my grandchildren and my children that I was there. And that I saw him get sworn in," he said. "I will tell them: 'I was there, it's not on T.V., I was there.'"
And with that, he set off for a week he won't ever forget.
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