Jaime Hickton, 2006 alumna of Seton Hill University, will be attending the 2009 presidential inauguration on January 20.

“When I learned I was going to get the tickets, I was so excited that I could barely speak. This is a monumental moment in American history. Barack Obama has the ability to affect so many levels of our society,” said Hickton, a resident of West Newton, Pa.

Hickton, a political science and history double major and legal studies minor, served for three years as a public policy intern with JoAnne Boyle, president of Seton Hill University.

“As a public policy intern with Dr. Boyle, I traveled to Harrisburg many times and met with representatives of government. I also had the opportunity to attend the 2005 presidential inauguration of George W. Bush through my internship. I absolutely loved it and was so glad I had the opportunity to experience it,” said Hickton.

Hickton, a registered Democrat, also worked on Senator Bob Casey’s campaign during her senior year at Seton Hill.

Hickton created a blog to document her experience of the inauguration: http://lucahickton.blogspot.com .

Hickton is a juvenile probation officer with Westmoreland County with plans to attend law school. She is a member of St. Joan of Arc parish in Library, Pa. While at Seton Hill, Hickton was the vice president of the Class of 2006 and was a member of the equestrian, soccer, and softball teams. Hickton founded Seton Hill University’s College Democrats and was a member of the Political Science Association.

The Public Policy Internship program is a competitive internship at Seton Hill University. Interested students complete an application for the program and a limited number are selected to participate by JoAnne Boyle. Students have the opportunity to meet and visit Seton Hill alumni working in government as well as representatives in Harrisburg, Pa, and Washington, D.C. Such opportunities help students apply the public policy principles they have learned.