From Washington to Pittsburgh, the inauguration of President Barack Obama as the country's first black president touched lives young and old, leaving a lasting impression on all who saw it.

WTAE Channel 4's Andrew Stockey spent Tuesday in the nation's capital, where he met a group of people who had traveled from Pittsburgh's Schenley High School.

"I'm just glad to be here to be a part of history, to witness history, a once-in-a-lifetime event that for now, hopefully will happen again," assistant principal Rae-Ann Green said.

"I think it's very inspirational to all Americans in the nation," Schenley student D'Rae Wise said. "I think he's going to do a good job changing the economy, people's lives, hopefully my future, too. Hopefully, I can grow up to be just like him."

Forty-five Schenley students traveled by bus for four hours on Monday night to the inauguration. It was a cold, but invigorating political lesson.

"I think it was important for the kids to see the process the whole way through, because everyone was very interested, even last year through the nomination process and this year with the election. And this here, tonight, was the culmination of it, so it was pretty cool," said activities director Joe Ehman.

"I can't even describe it. I'm just so excited to be able to tell my kids and tell my family that I was there. I saw Barack Obama inaugurated and I was part of history. It is exciting," said student Loni Ben-Zvi.

Each student paid his or her way, but many said the experience was priceless.

Some students from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pa., also made the trip to D.C.

"I write for the newspaper, so I'll be writing a story when I get back, writing reflections, of course, taking a lot of pictures and just trying to ingrain it in my memory," W&J student Jourdin Barber said.

"I'm really excited to tell my children and their grandchildren about being able to witness something that changed America, possibly changes the whole world," said D'rese Despert.

---

Back home in Pittsburgh, civics teacher Terry Beale welcomed the opportunity to share a living lesson with students at Westinghouse High School.

Beale, who graduated from the largely African-American school, said Obama's inauguration was a chance "for our students to be able to see someone encouraged him, someone told him he could, and in fact, he did, and that is what is happening here today."

Students gathered in the auditorium to listen to inspirational readings, the national anthem, a quartet that celebrated diversity, and the oath of office, which drew loud cheers from everyone in the room.
Video: Watch Sally Wiggin's Report From Westinghouse High

"He's just changing the way we look at the president and the way we look at politics, and it's just a historical moment," student Dante Clarke said.

"They made it seem like it was more of a united thing, with everybody here all together, so it made us feel like everybody was a part of it," student Yanna Cox-Caylor said.

"This makes me feel that we're all together as one -- not even one nation, like how it's just America. It's like, Obama affects the whole world," student Glenn Smith said.

The kids also posed for photos with a cardboard cutout of Obama in the hallway.

"All the children will look back at it and see how he made his dream come true," said Brianna Bush-Eea. She was in a group of middle school students from Faison and Lincoln who went to Westinghouse for the day.

---

Also watching Obama on TV was Lillian Allen, a 100-year-old West Oakland woman who played a role in getting him elected.

"I never thought I'd live the day to see it happen," Allen said. "I knew it would happen. I never thought it would happen this soon and I'm very grateful to see it."

Allen is a local volunteer for ACORN, the community organization for low- and moderate-income families. She went door to door last fall, encouraging people to vote in the November election.

Allen voted for the first time in 1928 and has cast a ballot in every presidential election since then.

---

In Westmoreland County, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg provided a big screen and couches for students who wanted to watch history being made.

When students weren't in class, many of them showed up to hear Obama's inauguration speech.

During a mock election on Super Tuesday, an overwhelming majority of UPG students chose Obama for president. Afterward, many of them registered to vote in the November election.