were featured in the bbc special. later, the czech prime minister talks about the state of the european union. ♪ >> this week on "q&a," a discussion with high school students attending the united states senate youth program. the students talked about their participation in the week long government and leadership program and their plans for the future. brian lamb: give me your name place, and where you are from. what are we doing here in this ballroom today? >> we are going to talk about

our experiences we have had over the past week, visiting many important places in the nation pose a capital and listening to our leaders. brian lamb: your name? >> i am alex young and i am also from indiana. brian lamb: what have you been doing this week? >> we have been talking to guest speakers from different departments of our bureaucracy and the president of the supreme court justice, but i think the most important part of this week was to interact with our fellow delegates from the 50 states and washington, d.c. and japan, , south korea. the interactions i have had with my fellow delegates, whether it is talking about politics or what we have for breakfast was probably the best part of this week and things i will remember for a long time. brian lamb: any disagreements? >> disagreements for sure. [laughter] whether i like pineapple or not, different policies, disagreements on both sides. but it always ends with a nice handshake and a great into the discussion. brian lamb: what is this program called?

>> the united states youth program. brian lamb: who supports it? >> the hearst foundation. brian lamb: how do you get chosen? >> each state selects to -- two delegates based on their application essays that they write, their resumes. brian lamb: why don't we move around and find out what is on the rest of your minds, and i would start by asking the question after this week, who has impressed you the most and why? if we get some hands, why don't we start right here. stand up and give me her name and where you are from. >> my name is meredith mccain and i am from atlanta, georgia. brian lamb: who is it that you are most impressed by? >> oh, yes. [laughter] >> that is a difficult one, but jonathan capehart came to talk to us and i really loved the insight he gave us about being the outside source, reporting back to us in the electorate about what is going on in our government.

he told us to look out for our guardian angels and those who guide us along our journey as we enter into public service. brian lamb: what is your own goal, where are you going to go in life? >> i would love to be either an international journalist or be part of the foreign service and eventually an ambassador to a french-speaking country, but something from a global point of view that can incorporate lots of different people and government leaders like the journalist has had in his career. brian lamb: thank you. let's go find somebody. yes, sir. >> i am walter jackson from north carolina. i would have to say my most memorable moment would be going to the white house and meeting the president, and the best part was just watching him come down the hallway because you always see that on television but to actually see it in person was pretty incredible. brian lamb: what did you notice in person that you don't see on

television? >> he looked a little thinner. [laughter] >> than he does on television, but just to be in a president's e no matter if you agree with his policy or not, it is really incredible. he is tall. [laughter] >> it was an incredible experience and i'm grateful to the hearst foundation. brian lamb: what year do you plan to run for president? >> i do not know. [laughter] brian lamb: there is hope there. let's go over here. yes, sir. your name and where you are from. turnaround. >> wonderful. i am from massachusetts. brian lamb: who impressed you the most? >> i really enjoyed the senator speech because she came up from an immigrant family, growing up tough, it was really inspirational to hear what she had to say, how we can learn from her message and her

years in public service were inspirational for us all. brian lamb: where is your family from originally? what my family is from southern india. my parents moved here in the 1980's and i grew up here. brian lamb: what is your observation from being around all of these young people, the difference between being an immigrant and having been born in this country with ancestors from european countries? >> there is a lot of racial diversity here and it is great to see different types of perspectives depending on where you grew up, what type of economic background you came from, because the hearst foundation provided all of the money for us, travel expenses, hotel rooming, that was all covered, meaning that people from various economic backgrounds are able to come here, so there is a lot of different perspectives when you get here and i really enjoyed learning from everyone. brian lamb: somebody told me you got a surprise announcement earlier in the week about your scholarship. what was it?

>> everyone thought the scholarship would be $5,000, which is phenomenal. then, on sunday night they announced it would be doubled to $10,000, and it was the loudest applause i had ever heard erupted in the room. [applause] brian lamb: who else wants to tell us about this week, if you have somebody you want to talk about? your name? >> i am from new hampshire. brian lamb: who is it you want to tell us about? >> jeffrey hearst gave us a speech about technology and its influence in the media. especially in the past 20 years. i really enjoyed his insightful speech because it talked about how we created our own safe spaces online where we have information we agree with coming to us, but we don't hear a lot from the other side because the way algorithms work on social media. brian lamb: do you stick with one side?

>> i have been trying to follow different people on twitter so that i hear from both sides. instead of just following people that agree with me, i am starting to get more information on the other side. brian lamb: anybody from over here have somebody want to tell us about? yes, ma'am. where are you from? >> i am from wyoming. for me ruth bader ginsburg was , the most inspirational person we have met this week. she has been one of my idols for a long time. i either want to be in the legal profession or possibly a senator, but she has done such amazing work to advance women's rights and especially women going into the legal system. it was an honor to get to speak to her. brian lamb: what did she say when she made her presentation that you will most remember? >> that is tough. she talked a lot about the

influences of different supreme court justices, and sort of their legacies, and so i guess it makes you think about what you want your legacy to be even if you are not a supreme court justice. but just how impactful some have been andions , that if i want they become a lawyer i will want to put a lot of thought into these important decisions because it is something that is really going to stick around throughout. earlier, she gave a eulogy for antonin scalia, and they were close friends over the years, and they cannot have been more different. is that the symbol for your life or the political campaigns? >> we have not seen enough of it in the political campaigns today. clearly there is a lot of , bickering on both sides.

people cannot seem to agree, but i think it is important to reach across the aisle and try to get, get to know people, not only that you are running against but anyone who has a different opinion than yours, because it is really important to challenge your perspective. brian lamb: i want to go to the other end of the room if i can. i see a lot of hands over here and get some other perspectives. how about you? your name and where you are from and make sure you look at the camera. >> i am from nevada. my favorite person that spoke to us was senator alexander. he give us a very positive perspective and he told us we could pretty much do whatever we wanted when we got older. he told us about when he was doing work in tennessee, he was elected to be the governor, and the governor spoke to them and said, "one day, one of you will be governor of tennessee" and he was.

it was inspiring to hear stories like that. about an agree to disagree type thing. brian lamb: based on what you saw here this week, what do you want to become in the future of all of the jobs people had that spoke to you? >> my dream would be public service, but the military mentors have really shown me i want to serve for sure after college, so that was really cool to see that perspective. brian lamb: let's take advantage of your hand being up. >> i am from burlington, vermont , and the most inspiring person i have heard all week is my military mentor of the u.s. air force. she has inspired me with her dedication to public service and serving the united states of america. she is an inspiration with her hard work and the wisdom that she has been able to impart on our group this week. brian lamb: is she in this room? >> she is. brian lamb: where is she sitting? >> she is sitting right over there.

[applause] brian lamb: right there? [applause] brian lamb: explain what mentors do during this week. >> our military mentors have been given groups around six or seven kids per mentor. and they have been explaining to us the role of etiquette and a decorum in the various settings we have had to learn about this week as well as keeping us , organized and on time. they have also told their stories about working for the united states of america and what that has meant to them, and i did not expect my military mentor to play such a big role in my experience here but she really has, and i appreciate that very much. brian lamb: guess were i am going next? [laughter]

brian lamb: it is a bit of a trek, but i am going to the military mentor to find out what her story is. i am sorry. i was looking at the wrong person. major, why do you think she thinks you are such a good mentor? >> all this time i thought she , was such a bright kid, but i don't know. [laughter] >> honestly, i'm not sure how i ended up in the company of military mentors. i have not been involved with youth and volunteering as much as many of my colleagues. they have extensive backgrounds in this work and i feel fortunate to be among them. brian lamb: where are you stationed? >> i am at los angeles air force base in california. brian lamb: how long have you been in the air force? >> almost 12 years. brian lamb: why did you go into the military?

>> i thought with my grandparents did in their generation, it was traditional to join the military out of high school and give back to the united states before they went on to do and pursue their own careers, whether it be public service or putting food on the table. i did not give thought as to whether that was traditional for women, it just seemed traditionally american. i planned to only be in four or five years before i moved on to something else. brian lamb: you change your mind? >> yes, sir. brian lamb: let's thank you very much. [applause] brian lamb: let's switch. i was going to switch but this young lady has something she wants to say. >> thank you. i am from wilmington, north carolina, and the speaker who most inspired me this week would have to be mr. jack warren, the director of the society in of cincinnati. ise background on that, it essentially the oldest historical society of its kind in the united states.

it catalogs the ideology that prefaced the revolutionary war and the declaration of independence and the ideals on which our nation is founded. i have to admit he was not the speaker i was most looking forward to initially but when he , got up and started talking about how the beginning of our nation essentially revolutionized the ideals of individual liberty and the relationship between people and the government and the extent to which people were finally able to be free, i was truly inspired ugged at the heartstrings a little bit. brian lamb: what are your own plans? >> i started out this week hoping to be the first female chief justice on the supreme court, but listening to the legislators that we spoke to, i would like to go into electoral politics and policy making. brian lamb: where do you want to go to school? do you know yet? >> i don't know. brian lamb: someone else.

>> my father is active duty and we are stationed in south korea. brian lamb: who do you want to talk about? >> i would love to talk about some of the people we met from nasa. it was inspiring to hear from the administrator as well as the other people from the goddard center. even though a lot of us may not be interested in pursuing stem careers it was inspiring to hear , how passionate people were about science and expanding the frontiers of what we know, especially mr. bolden. he gave us a lot of insight into looking into where our tax money is going and asking the rude questions we need to ask. and hearing how personable he was, seeing how he interacted with his audience so compellingly, that was really amazing, just to feel that passion from people from nasa was a big take away from this week. brian lamb: are you interested

in going to mars? >> actually, after seeing movies like "the martian" and "gravity," i think a lot of people are more interested in science. i think that would be amazing. brian lamb: i want to switch and find out what you have been thinking this week about politics. you met a lot of politicians. i assume you're watching the presidential campaigns. you probably came in here with ideas of what you thought political people were like up close. i want to find out what you are thinking, this fellow has his hand up. >> nathan from oklahoma. brian lamb: where in oklahoma? >> tulsa. brian lamb: what is your high school? >> booker t. washington high school. brian lamb: we had 2800 entries and the big winner was from jenks high school in tulsa, oklahoma. it is terrific. they make five to seven minute documentaries. i just wanted to get that plug in for oklahoma.

what do you think about politics? >> i think, like many other people, we're fairly skeptical watching the derbies that are the debates each week. and i think one of the most important things is it reaffirmed my faith in politics and the political process because the truth is these people, these people we see on television, c-span, are real people. when we saw president obama, perhaps the thing that stood out the most to me was the bags under his eyes, he was tired, he is a real person. dealing with real things. i thought that that was perhaps most interesting. brian lamb: what do you think when you see the campaign, is that real? >> to an extent. these are real people with real ideas that transform themselves. i think perhaps the biggest dichotomy could be between the last two republican debates where a few weeks ago there was the debate where everyone was

attacking each other. last night, people were civil and had a substantive debate. i think it is the real people to the extent that the polling tells them to be. brian lamb: thank you, sir. over here. yes, sir. >> i am just in from knoxville, tennessee. brian lamb: what are you thinking? >> i am really impressed, like nathan was saying, that even though they seem hardheaded and unable to compromise, there is compromise taking place. they are all well reasoned individuals, so even though they seem to draw a hard-line a lot , of times they are able to justify that based on their moral or economic beliefs about politics. brian lamb: what is your reaction to watching the campaign? >> i think a lot of that is distorting the media. they always say no press is bad press, so getting their name out there, getting attention is more of the drive and motivator, but i think when you look underneath at least with the majority of the campaigns, with the exception of one or two, they do

have plans. they do have intentions and goals they want to make happen and i think what we are saying them -- seeing through the campaign process is simply a tool to get in office and make this happen. brian lamb: what are your plans? >> i am going to the university of tennessee, knoxville and i hope to go to law school. brian lamb: i just heard that 50% of lost school graduates cannot find jobs. -- law school graduates cannot find jobs. brian lamb: yes, sir. >> i am jackson wilkins from mississippi. to answer your question about politics, i think the thing that struck me this week was how distorted our view of politics has become through a really politicized media. when i met senator roger wicker of mississippi who is very conservative, something mississippians are proud of. i noticed that after we took pictures, he walked up to

senator cory booker and shook his hand and they both a huge smile on their faces. i was kind of surprised because the media teaches us that democrats and republicans are supposed to be at odds with each other. i think that people need to recognize that we need to be respectful toward each other and we need to understand that senators are respectful toward each other and that will be more conducive to getting real policy done instead of just the acrimony and vitriol. brian lamb: does the politician have any responsibility? >> obviously. we need to be respectful toward each other. even though we disagree, we are all working toward the same goal. we all want what is best for the united states. bestst disagree on the

path to reach that goal. brian lamb: is there anyone that does not like what they see with this campaign, willing to stand up and talk about it? i don't think i have talked to you, have i? >> i am laura wagner and i go to high school in delaware. brian lamb: what about this campaign? >> it has gone so far extreme. the republicans have gone very far to the right and the democrats have gone very far to the left. i think most americans are moderate voters and so the tough part about that, as a moderate voter, how we can bring compromise back to the middle because compromise is the foundation of this nation. i believe if we want to go forward and do the best we can we have to find a middle ground, some are not polarizing on the right or the left. brian lamb: what do you think is motivating this? >> i think a lot of this is standup candidates, soundbites in the media. donald trump can say something horrible and it pushes everybody so far to the right.

i think it is the 24-hour news cycle and the fact anytime a candidate is on the record they are trying to push people away from the middle. brian lamb: the right says that donald trump is not a conservative. >> that is debatable. he has some very bizarre policies and candidates like ted cruz are also very far to the right. i think the insanity this campaign, it has polarized everybody. brian lamb: who else has something to say about this campaign? yes, sir. >> i go to school in west virginia. brian lamb: where? >> martinsburg. brian lamb: what do you think? >> politics is a very hard topic to talk about because there such a wide range of everything. all of the topics that they cover are just very broad and a very extensive. it is very hard to talk about politics, especially in this world of serious bipartisanship

the--partisanship and the severe divide and polarization. when you have a campaign like this, you have strong willed people who want to make such a strong difference. you see a very wide view of strong opinions and that leads to a lot of tension and a lot of friction. brian lamb: never in history have so many people watched the debates during primaries. good or bad? >> if you like sports it is really good. [laughter] brian lamb: is it drawing more people into the discussion? >> i do not know if it is bringing them into the discussion, but it is bringing them into the sporting of it. i see a lot of people come into it and they do not care about the opinions, do not care about the policies, how it affects them, they just care about how it entertains them and that is why we are seeing a record-breaking numbers is

because so many people are coming out because they want to see somebody say something nasty. they want to see something exciting happen. coming to a program like this, we were with president obama and he said, as the youth of america, whatever you do, please do not be cynical about politics. before this program, i think a lot of us came into this very cynical and being able to sit down at the dinner table people i just met with in one week, i may not know your name or your state or what your political beliefs are, but we engaged in a political discussion, talked about the things we believe in and i have heard comments when i am sitting there. one person told me, your opinion is very respectable. we do not hear that in national politics. i think it is inspiring to sit here, whether it is with the military mentor or somebody from across this nation in a big city, it is so inspiring to see

that we are all together even if we have different opinions. brian lamb: it should be pointed out that steve cox is the gentleman sitting over here, a retired marine officer. a former marine, but they never say "ex-marine," right marines? who else? >> i think it is about time we are seeing a campaign like this. i think the voters were bored with establishment politics. seeing the same stuff over and over. and it is also a credit to the politicians for being able to capitalize on this type of environment. you would not see people like this being so successful with a polarized opinion in any other year. and now this is just showing the , evolution of politics and how the voters really want a change, they want something different, they don't want the establishment that we have been

seeing all this time. it is very valuable in that regard, so i think this campaign is important. while others may criticize it and say it is childish or there are too many people hurling insults i think it is drawing , people out, building on their passions. it is something different and something american politics me. the less american politics needs. brian lamb: where do you live? >> okinawa, japan. brian lamb: what are you doing in japan? >> my mom is in the air force, so we are in okinawa. it is kind of interesting. the feed that we get is very filtered and we are very insulated from the political atmosphere we see here. i am a big fan of politics so that is why i really value that we are having something that is drawing so many people out. even in okinawa where you don't have much political conversation, people are now talking about politics and these debates are bringing people out of their shells and make them realize politics is going to make a difference.

whether it is the extreme candidates or the established they will make a change in our ones, future. brian lamb: i want to see if i can find two of you, one on the right and one on the left. and we can come together right here and have a little chat. [laughter] brian lamb: let me just see. what side are you on? now i need someone from the left. is there an extreme leftist in the room? [laughter] brian lamb: yes, come on up. let's settle this problem right here now. [laughter] >> i live in dewitt, arkansas. and live in reno, nevada, go to reno high school. brian lamb: why are you such a left winger? >> i work for the hillary clinton campaign. nine months before the caucus in our home state of nevada and my parents are both public

employees, so i was raised to believe in the power of public spending and the power of taxation. brian lamb: when did you first get interested in politics? >> probably two or three years ago. i was not really interested, i was kind of selectively interested during presidential campaigns. but i started getting into local politics and state politics and could finally understand what my mom did for the government. she is an auditor so it took a while to understand what she did. the midterms and this presidential campaign have really been the first elections i have been involved in. brian lamb: we could use a few auditors in washington. anna, why are you a right-winger? >> basically, a lot of it has to do with my christian values, and also i have watched my parents struggle financially and start from the bottom and then work really, really hard to work their way up out of various

financial issues. and so i really believe in the power of free enterprise and capitalism and how someone can start off toward the bottom of the socioeconomic food chain and work their way up through hard work and dedication. brian lamb: what are your plans? >> i plan to attend the university of arkansas this fall and major in political science and advertising in public relations, and then probably go to law school. brian lamb: your plans? >> i am not sure where i want to go to college but i would like to study computer science and hopefully get a masters degree. brian lamb: thank you very much. we need to do more of these. give me a left-winner. who is outspoken? [laughter] brian lamb: come on over here. [applause] brian lamb now i need an : outspoken right-winger. yes, this gentleman. come over here. [applause]

[laughter] lamb: name, school. >> i go to high school in delaware. >> i go to high school in wichita, kansas. brian lamb: somebody told me that a group of republicans are wearing these pins. is that right? >> some of us are. [laughter] >> i took mine off. brian lamb: why? >> i didn't want to upset any democrats. [laughter] >> the intention of the constitution, which i think it is forgotten. i want to get back to our roots to >> i feel strong is about campaign finance reform. [laughter] [applause] minute. brian: why did they all know this? >> pretty much all i talked

about this week. i feel money has a corrupted influence. constitutional amendment to overturn citizens united. [applause] brian: what do you think? >> i believe in the first amendment, to express yourself and one way is to donating to a cause you support or donating to a cause that presents -- that prevents a cause you don't support. [applause] brian: so what issue is the most is -- most important to you? >> more important than the constitution? [laughter] ? how can you ask that? my goodness. -- how can you asked that? my goodness. that's my entire life. [laughter] your second one? >> why do you go to andrew and

asking that. >> the second-most important american values. that sounds really tried and we hear that from washington all the time to but people don't have the same respect for different beliefs and different people the way we used to. we see this nasty, discussing xenophobia in the campaign trail. we need to have discussed of discourse like here. we need to go back to respecting all americans regardless of their backgrounds and making this country a more respect for place where people can give their opinions. >> i'm ready. problemthere is a big in this country and that's political correctness. i think people -- we need people who have principles and convictions and are willing to andt for those principles connection. i understand bipartisan is him -- bipartisan is him. but people need to go to .ashington to meet a goal

brian: if you have a moment every day to go someplace to what you believe are back up what you believe or somebody in the media you respect most, who would it be? >> the national interest of foreign policy. it sometimes leads a little to my right. to formulate my opinions about international affairs. natural -- the national interest must be the most and port in on most people's list. >> of course. ?hy wouldn't it be >> the democrats in the room wants me to say fox news because it leads ready to the dialogue. isually, the google news out probably one of the best tools that anyone of us can use because it provides such a diverse array of things. yes, i am reading stuff from the huffington post. i usually have to find a trashcan after i do. sorry, huffington post. [laughter]

fox news is good, too. you know, fair and balanced. no, i literally get news from everywhere and i imagine the truth fall summer in the middle of everything. brian: thank you, both, gentlemen. [applause] we have to moreover here. this has started something. andse, both of you stand face this way so the cameras can pick you up. >> my name is cynthia floris and i am from mission, texas. i am a moderate brian: you are sitting together here. are you friends? >> yes, i would say so. >> absolutely. [laughter] brian: we get something going here, folks during all right, what do you think most

passionately about. >> the reason that i am leaning towards the left -- i am a bit moderate, but mostly towards the left. it is because i believe we all should have social freedom to to be what we believe morally right and morally wrong, whether it is in the issue of abortion or whether it is about your sexual i don't know how to explain -- brian: sexuality? >> yes. anything socially, you should choose for yourself rather than telling -- that having politicians telling you what to do. you should choose what you think is right and have your life model your own reality. since i believe morality is a relative concept and we come from different backgrounds. they are a lot of different immigrants and so many people from different religions that we should have our own choice. [applause] >> one of the issues where i generally fall right on is

issues of economic policy. i believe in fiscal responsibility and i think the government has got to spend a lot of money and have the bucket projects that it does not necessarily have to fund. there are a lot of issues where we had big government printing office space that it uses to store things. and we have places where we can money that we can cut and become more accountable to the people, reduce the national debt and find things we can find and support in a more effective way. on these issues, when the government is more accountable fiscally, it is able to do more socially. so as far as where we are both moderate, believe strongly in social freedoms. but at the same time, i think the government has to take a step back and some trying to play such a strong role in everybody's economic daily life. brian: what you disagree on? >> from what he just said?

i believe that the government should have a responsibility in our finances, but i believe by the same token we should--i don't know how to explain it, there should be more freedom overall because government does play a role in some people's lives and for us, government means a lot. there are people that do not care about politics as much, and i believe if a lot of people -- and i believe a lot of people feel the government is intrusive in the things they do so i believe there should be more freedom in that sense. brian lamb: what are your plans? >> i would like to become a senator. of course, i want to go to law school. my undergrad, i'm taking about doing journalism or political science for my undergrad. >> i am looking for a career in foreign relations. i am not sure exactly on the's collegiate plans but i would like to become fluent in other languages and study other cultures so we can have positive international affairs.

brian lamb: thank you both. [applause] brian lamb: to our television audience around the country, this is the united states senate youth program, underwritten by the hearst foundation. you folks have been in town for a week. there are 104 of you in this room, two of you from each state and a couple from the territories and we are talking about your experiences this week. we have about 20 minutes. the last part of this, i would like to get some of you in the room to talk about who has most influence you in your own life. it could be a teacher, parent, somebody you know, fellow student, and i'm looking for new faces and it will start right here. >> my name is julia blackwell and i am from maine.

brian lamb: who do you most look up to? >> my mother. when i was born she was a teen parent and a mom and she took time in her life to raise me as an independent woman and i value everything she taught me in letting me make my own ideas. i was raised in a home with both a democrat and a republican. i was given the opportunity to go to church or not. i was able to form my own opinion without them being forced on me, and she makes sure that i can go to every opportunity that i desire and make the best of my resources. brian lamb: what did she do? >> she works for girl scouts of maine. she is a public servant as well. brian lamb: what part of maine? >> it is on route one, and people who live in maine don't even know where it is. [laughter] brian lamb: yes, sir.

-- my father is the most influential force in my life. he has really solidified my belief in the american dream. he started out working as a truck driver for a local paint company and he died as a business owner. through his work ethic, police -- his beliefs and passion for the business, so i believe america is out of touch with that believe that you can do whatever you want to do no matter where you start. it is more about where you finish. brian lamb: when did your dad die? >> in my freshman year of high school. brian lamb: what was the cause? >> leukemia. he passed away of a stroke. brian lamb: thank you very much. yes, where you from? >> north dakota. brian lamb: who is the biggest person in your life? >> my brother. brian lamb: why? >> he gives me opportunities to come here. i live on a farm, so he has stayed home to take care of all

the things they give me opportunities. brian lamb: what is his name? >> clay. brian lamb: is he older than you? >> yes, he is 21. brian lamb: yes, sir. who is your favorite person? >> i would say ms. rita patel. my first exposure to politics on the local level was at the school board meeting i went to in seventh grade and this woman was just so inspiring to me. i am best friends with her son in california and she just would not take anything from anyone. she was steadfast in her beliefs and her dedication to caring for the students of the district and she did anything into to get took to get them

what they needed. brian lamb: it is tough living there isn't it? >> i know. brian lamb: what do you remember that she specifically did that was important to you. >> how she can turn any situation to her advantage. i remember when she came late to a meeting and she found a story about everything she was wearing because she put on an anti-bullying shirt and said, i support anti-bullying" put on a jacket and said, "i am here to advocate for my students." brian lamb: how about this gentleman with a bright, red shirt on. >> i am from michigan. brian lamb: where? >> i am near lake huron. brian lamb: who'd you credit as your best leader? >> we hear about the broken school district in this country, and i'm fortunate to not have that problem. the teachers that we have at that high school really believe

in the students, in my history teacher, my government teacher, my principal they are so dedicated to education and i am really indebted to them. brian lamb: give us an example of something they have done? >> nominating me to come to this wonderful program. if they, and all of us as well. if some of the not believe in us and our future, there is no way any of us would be here. brian lamb: what did you have to do to get chosen for this program? >> we had to receive the nomination, hold a leadership position in our school or community and go through quite a process, a very in-depth government exam and writing a lot of essays to show we know, or we sound like we know what we're talking about. [laughter] brian lamb: what are your own plans? >> i want to get back to the community that has given so much to me in the above to represent -- and hopefully be able to

represent people at the state level. brian lamb: whenever you're elected someday, you will be able to go back and remember. how about at this table, we have not seen many of you. >> i am from las cruces, new mexico. brian lamb: who is the mentor of the leader? >> my father. when he was born, he grew up in poverty in rural new mexico. his family moved around united states and canada and somehow he found a way to help support his family. times were very rough, and throughout his life he has shown he is dedicated to others. he served in the military for 32 years. he retired as a colonel in the army. every single step in my life, he has enabled me and encouraged me to push the limits. although, i do argue with him a lot over anything and everything, it is still amazing to have that person in your life you can go back to and kind of say, well, he is the one i want

to be like. brian lamb: what are your own plans? >> right now, i want to be everything from a music educator, to a politcal analyst, to a journalist. it is all over the place. i am all over the place. [laughter] brian lamb: there is still time for all three of them. i want to do something i have never done, and she will be so mad at me. we have done this for 10 years together. rainy guilford who you know, responsible for all of this organization with her staff. she hates the fact that i'm about to talk to her. over the years you have brought these students to the hearst foundation, what has been the biggest impact on you? >> i think i have told the students, i used to work in the senate on behalf of at risk students and that was a great privilege, but now i have a chance to work with the most talented, bright, as you can all

see, and i feel that it is just as important for this nation because the pebbles that are going into the pond here, the ripple effect of all of your leadership, it makes me emotional to hear how wonderful you are. i think viewers of c-span will feel the same way. everything i do for you and all of the staff, it is the greatest gift we can get to the country, so it is my privilege to do this program this way. [applause]

brian lamb: i have known her for 25 years and i love to see her emotional like that. she has put a lot of work into this. who is your mentor? >> i am from montgomery, alabama in my mentor for the last six years has been a woman who has worked with me since seventh grade when i started working with the montgomery clean city commission, and if you do not know, montgomery was once the cradle of the confederacy and the birthplace of the civil rights movement. it is interesting to have this caucasian woman to be my best friend, my mentor and my confidant. she has really taught me that i do not have to subscribe to the inevitability of anything and that i can dream and be whimsical at the same time, be practical and take valid steps to achieve whatever i

want. brian lamb: what are your plans? >> so, college, and in college i would like to study basically anything in the humanities, woman studies or venture into african-american studies and would definitely be interested in going into law school or becoming a rhodes scholars or pursuing graduate study abroad or even here. brian lamb: thank you. the law schools are having trouble getting enough students. i think this crowd will definitely fill it. we do not have much time. we have 10 minutes left. i think as we end, and some of you have things you want to say so i want to just grab you and let's try this gentleman are here. >> i am from rhode island. brian lamb: why was your hands a frantically in the air? >> as you were saying at the time was running out, i really wanted to say it is tough to make a choice but my mom has been the biggest influence on my life. she is a public servant herself,

not in elected office but she started out as a teacher, a high school teacher and she was a single mom. she raised me for most of the time that i have really been alive, and all that she has done has been, for me, and i really appreciate everything she has ever done because she has been educating, not just me but students in my pretty poor town for years. around the time i got into middle school, when she really began to focus on her career beyond teaching and now she is an assistant superintendent in the providence school district and she makes so much impact everyday. she comes home from work exhausted every day and i'm always telling her she could probably use some more sleep, but she definitely puts her

heart into everything she does and i cannot be any more prouder that i could be here and say that everything she has done, i appreciate it because now i can be here and make something of myself for her. brian lamb: thank you very much. [applause] brian lamb: ok, hands up, quickly. yes, ma'am. >> i am from tennessee and i have to say there are two people i have to mention. my role model has been my mother, and middle school principal on the low income side of town. she said making a difference in the students lives are more important than working her way up her career. i would also have to mention my speech and debate coach because she showed me, even though we disagree, the two of us come as we are working to debates we can be respectful and she also got me interested in broadcast journalism through her video classes. brian lamb: what do you disagree with her on?

>> she is more liberal and i more conservative, but we found ways to be respectful and backing our opinions up with evidence. brian lamb: let's go over to this table, this gentleman right here. what is your name? >> i am from newark, new jersey. the two people who embody the american dream for me are my parents. they came to the united states, fleeing from a civil war, so they are both refugees, and they both started off with practically nothing and they moved into a low income city and they worked their way up and now we live moderately comfortable. just their ambition and their drive has really inspired me. their passion for american democracy and government. my dad is the only person i know that likes paying his taxes. it has really inspired me to get more involved in the country that has given me an opportunity

to grow, succeed, so definitely. brian lamb: have you examined your father's reason for wanting to pay taxes? >> he is a teacher and really loves his job. my mom is a nurse and she loves what she does. brian lamb: what do you want to do? i want to study public policy in college. brian lamb: thank you. who were the two speakers tonight? there is one and there is the other one. i am going to ask the gentleman what he is going to tell everyone tonight. [applause] brian lamb: sir, where are you from? >> i am from staten island, new york. brian lamb: how did you get picked to speak tonight? >> they made some poor choices, clearly. [laughter] i do know. i guess i am sociable and i like talking to people. i am probably funny so they want to hear a quick jump tonight. brian lamb: can we hear one now?

>> maybe if you come back tonight. brian lamb: what do you want to hear in washington? >> i want everyone to reflect on the fact that even though we all come from different backgrounds, we have the potential for great success in public service, business, whatever they want to pursue. i do not want that potential to go wasted with these great individuals. brian lamb: good luck tonight, and we have, excuse me, the other, we have spoken to this woman before. meredith, why did you get picked? >> i have no idea. they called my name out and i was like, why did that happen? we had some debate rounds on absurd topics. i'm really passionate about public speaking, so hopefully people will acknowledge that. brian lamb: what do you want to say tonight? >> i want to summarize our collective experience.

hopefully, i can try to capture a little bit of the emotion everyone feels about having spent the week in washington. brian lamb: what is the emotion all about? >> just a passion to give back to serve the public. just a way to give back no matter what sector or industry we go into, we all want to serve others and be involved in politics and in the whole process of american democracy. brian lamb: thank you. if you were going to give a speech tonight and want to do -- and wanted to give a short message to this group and you have not talked to us yet, quickly, standup. right here. >> i am from burlington, vermont in my message is to increase bipartisanship as we move forward in the future. as a republican from a very liberal state i appreciate the

political dialogue that goes and forth between the two parties that i hope we can actually transform the dialogue into meaningful work. brian lamb: thank you. you can just a were you are. >> i am one of the delegates from montana. i want to reiterate something president obama said. he said, know what you want to do not what you want to be. what this basically meant is have these goals, have these ambitions but did not have the ambition just to get into office, gain power. i think that really brings it back to us that we are all aspiring leaders and our world so we have some social goals or goals to attain, and i think that was a really powerful thing he said. brian lamb: thank you. we may be have time for one more. yes, ma'am. >> i think we need to her member to challenge our-- brian lamb: and where are you from? >> i am from arkansas. i think everyone needs to challenge their ideals and find people who do not agree with what you have you can strengthen

your own arguments and your own beliefs and change them. you need to just find a way to realize that you cannot live in your own little bubble. you need to find others. brian lamb: thank you. how about right here? yes, ma'am. >> i am from wisconsin. one thing we heard from a speaker yesterday's do not be afraid to fail. of course, we have some very successful people in this room that i would encourage all of you that if we do so, try to appreciate that because it will only make you appreciate your successes more, and i also hope you do not become so used to success that it is not special for you anymore. brian lamb: one last person. this lady right over here. please stand. >> i am from south dakota. i think that an inspirational quote i will take is one of the alumni. cory gardner talked about when he was meeting someone from his favorite movie.

he heard from his advisor to "act like you belong," and he told us, act like you belong when you do something new but also said, we do belong. we belong here. we have been picked for this program, so be who you are, be yourself because you do not have to act like you belong. we all belong. brian lamb: i want to thank the students in this room and the hearst foundation for letting us come here with our cameras, and this is the united states senate youth program. thank you all very much. [applause] ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer: for three transcripts, visit us at q-

and-a.org. announcer: the united states senate youth program takes students from across the country to washington, d.c. each year. if you like this program, you can find others like it online at www.c-span.org. the house is in recess for another week, but the senate returns monday at 3:00 p.m. eastern. it will start the day with general speeches before moving on to a bill that would combat the theft of corporate trade secrets. a vote is expected at 5:30. you can follow the senate live on our companion network's piece -- c-span 2. announcer: monday, on "the communicators," executives of -- talk about the

cable industry and the issues faces, such as whether consumers choose smaller bundles and "sell setket would be top boxes. works fox, all of their networks, would require to be carried on the most widely distributed level of service. what we end up is this bundle of bundles that everything -- everybody has to take. , i would love to disaggregate that bundle and so the people as they wish. most consumers don't recognize the math that happens, the price of the individual channels or the bundle of channels is going to skyrocket. with consumers don't even want a box.

choicebers are providing through competitive boxes and really being part of that relationship with the customer determine what it is that they want most, and how to provide. -- provide it. >> the british house of commons primus just, so questions will not be shown tonight -- prime minister's questions will not be shown tonight. instead, it will be the year end review of the british parliament. later, a look at russia's political system and domestic policy. ♪