Local student returns home after attending State of the Union

The local student invited to attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address is back from our nation's capital.

Elizabeth Esteban, a Junior at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal, was invited to attend by Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz due to her community activism.

Click here for more on Elizabeth's story

She caught the attention of Rep. Ruiz after handwriting him a letter detailing some of the issues her community has been facing following the "Martinez Fire," a mulch fire that burned for over month near several east valley schools in the Fall.

The Martinez Fire created serious air quality issues in the area, leading to three east valley schools, including Desert Mirage, to be evacuated and several students to be hospitalized. Classes were canceled for over a week.

Details: CVUSD closes all schools and cancels all activities due to air quality concerns

It was part of a series of mulch fires that broke out over the course of 2019.

"This shouldn't be the living conditions for students and kids," Elizabeth wrote in her letter.

Elizabeth said she spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Corey Booker, and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff about airborne hazards in the east valley.

She says the political leaders she met are encouraging her to be the voice of change in her community.

"The State of the Union and the experience overall helped me gain a lot of confidence in myself. Dr. Raul Ruiz talked to me that I was just this young leader and I could do a lot in the future for my community," Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth says she plans to work closely with Rep. Ruiz to address the east valley issues and they're planning to meet in the future.

Read Elizabeth's full letter to Ruiz below: