Local student arrives in Washington D.C. for State of the Union address

A local high student invited to attend the State of the Union address arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday evening.

Elizabeth Esteban is a JUnior at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal. Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz invited her to be his guest for President Donald Trump's State of the Union address due to her community activism.

She caught Ruiz's attention after writing him a letter detailing her community's challenges when a series of mulch fires broke out last fall.

More on Elizabeth Esteban's letter to Ruiz

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

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

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

Elizabeth hopes to come back with valuable experience to help her community.

"I'm looking forward to representing my community...," Esteban said. "I'm looking forward to also gaining a lot of experience and bring it back to my community and last but not least, thank you all for your support."

The State of the Union address will begin at 6 p.m. Watch live coverage on News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2.