AUBURN — Gabriel Despradel was running for president of his Edward Little High School class. He hardly knew anybody and was up against three other students.

Despradel started his speech with “you may not know me.” A short pause followed and then out came “you may know me from the Heritage Tour.”

The cheering started, the clapping ensued and Despradel won the election. The 14-year-old is president of the freshman class.

“It was a great moment to have,” Despradel said of his peers’ reaction to his speech.

“I made a lot of friends on the tour,” Despradel said, referring to the trip last spring to historical sites in Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. “So I decided to stick my neck out” and run for president.

Every spring, eighth-grade students from Auburn Middle School have the opportunity to go on the American Heritage Tour, a weeklong bus trip to Gettysburg, Mount Vernon, Ellis Island and the Museum of the American Revolution, among other sites.

Despradel started saving for the trip in the seventh grade but was only able to save half of the $1,000 cost.

He gave up hope that he would be able to go and did not attend any of the monthly planning meetings leading up to the trip.

Despradel’s absence caught the attention of social studies teacher Sonja Abbott.

“Gabe is so self-motivated, polite and considerate,” Abbott said. “Gabe is nice to everybody, so if anybody should go, it should be Gabe. I really wanted him to go on this trip.”

Abbott was able to secure a scholarship to secure his spot and a month before the bus left the school, Despradel was in.

Knowing other students were unable to go due to the lack of money, he started raising money for a scholarship to help others.

“Other kids might be in the same position,” he said. “After the experience I had, I thought others would enjoy it too.”

Despradel approached faculty at his alma mater with his intentions and the decision was made — the money raised during this year’s Auburn Middle School’s annual dodgeball tournament would be put into the scholarship fund Despradel created.

“I’m still working on that,” Despradel said when asked if the scholarship fund has a name.

Students and faculty paid $5 each Tuesday to play after school and spectators paid $2 to watch. Office staff and teachers made baked goods to sell to raise additional funds.

In all, a total of $609.50 was added to the fund.

Eleven teams of six players each competed for bragging rights in front of gym bleachers filled with students, teachers and a few parents of students. Teams included “Sesame Street Kids,” “Terrible Teachers” and “The Chicken.” The tournament ended when the “AMS Dodgers” beat “Hi Joe” in the championship game.

Learning and experiencing new things was Despradel’s favorite part of the American Heritage Tour, he said.

“I never went to Gettysburg before,” he said.

“I held onto a stranger by accident and I got to race up the “Rocky Steps,” the 72 stone steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he said. “That is one of my best memories.”

“Gabe was everyone’s adopted son on that trip,” Abbott said. “He picked up trash on the bus and handed out snacks.”

“This kid is going places,” Abbott said about Despradel.

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