Betas attending National Beta Club Sr. Leadership Conference met with individual U.S. House and Senate Representatives on Wednesday as a part of the Leadership Conference.

Cairo HS and other Illinois Betas met with Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois.

Mr. Newell, you should be able to view this link without a Twitter account. (CAT Tracks Editor's Note: This proved to be true.)

https://twitter.com/nationalbeta/status/885250608587997184.

Pictured left to right: Breona Childs, Keron Jackson, Malia Lester, Javier Purdiman, JaeAnna Pritchard, and Lanaya Nelson.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

Ryan O'Shea never seeks personal recognition, in fact, goes to great lengths to avoid it...

...but, as one who knows of his efforts, I would be remiss in not expressing my personal appreciation for what he does on the part of Cairo students.

He goes waaay above and beyond the call of duty.

These students are getting experiences that few Cairoites will ever have...

...possible life-changing experiences that might result in them actually being leaders of tomorrow.

Christopher Jackson has shown us that a "kid from Cairo" can even grow up to be President of the United States of America...

...at least on the Broadway stage. :-)

Chris gets headlines, deservedly so, but there are many, many other Cairo graduates we never hear about, who go about their daily lives making positive contributions to their local communities, their states, their country.

So, who is to say that one of the current "crop" of Cairo students won't sprout wings and fly?

Don't bet against them.

Thank you, Ryan, for showing these students that there is life outside of Cairo...