Local students’ film plays at U.S. Capitol
Alexia Welch was surprised to learn that Lawrence High School was sharing student phone numbers and addresses with military recruiters.
So the 18-year-old senior and classmate Sarah Ybarra, a 17-year-old junior, made a documentary film explaining how the No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to share the information or else risk losing federal funds.
Their 25-minute movie, “No Child Left Unrecruited,” won an audience in Washington on Tuesday after a California congressman invited the students to show the film at the U.S. Capitol.
“I don’t think we ever thought we’d find ourselves in Washington screening this movie,” Welch said with a laugh. “I hope that it makes a difference.”
Welch, who graduated from high school in May, plans to attend Kansas University this year and is interested in pursuing a degree in journalism. Ybarra, meanwhile, says she wants to make more films.