Alumni Spotlights

When Sheila Babauta’s high school counselor introduced her to Close Up, she wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip. Her older sister had gone on Close Up, and all she knew was that she would fly very far away and visit a lot of interesting places with her friends.

For Louis Aguirre, the Close Up experience helped bring academics and history off the pages of textbooks and into real life. Hearing from young professionals and learning about their passions helped solidify Aguirre’s aspirations to become a journalist, and seeing artifacts of history first-hand and standing in historical sites had

Bryan Henry began his Close Up experience as a teacher, bringing students from Kingwood High School in Texas. At the time, he was an AP U.S. Government teacher who was focused on helping his students not only pass the AP exam, but understand how to engage with history long after

Participating in Close Up was the first time Loaitza Esquilin-Garcia traveled without her family, and her first experience on an educational trip. When her brother attended a few years before her, she was not sure why middle schoolers could not attend. Her family emphasized the importance of building her language

While on Close Up, David Roghair learned how accessible the government is to its citizens. Now, as a magistrate judge, Roghair makes his courtroom accessible to his community. For Hon. David Roghair, the Close Up journey from Alaska’s northernmost coast to Washington, D.C., was long, but it was worth it.

Verenice Castillo’s devotion to her community took her from being a Close Up student in front of the White House to being a dinner guest at the White House. All of Castillo’s concerns about being in a new country were put to rest after her experience on Close Up’s Program