profession or possibly a senator, but she has done such amazing work to advance women's rights and women going into the legal system. so, it was really an honor to get to speak with her. brian lamb: what did she say that you will most remember? >> 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 , other decisions have been and that if i one day become a lawyer, i will want to put to a locked up these important decisions because it is

something that is really going to stick around. brian lamb: earlier she gave the eulogy for antonin scalia, and they were close friends over the years, and they cannot have been more different. is that to be simple for your life, or is it the symbol we see today in the political campaigns? >> we have not seen it today. 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 those 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.

>> my name is kate. i am from nevada. my favorite person that spoke to us was senator alexander. i think he give us a very positive perspective and you told us we could pretty much do whatever we wanted when we got older ent told us a story about when he was doing work in tennessee. he was doing boys state 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 great to hear that. 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 at the military mentors have really shown me i want to serve for sure after college, so that was really cool to see the perspective. brian lamb: let's take advantage of your hand being up.

>> my name is mrs. sylvester and i am from burlington, vermont. 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 decorum in the various settings we have had, 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, next. where is she? i am sorry. i am looking at the wrong person. what is your name again? why do you think she is such a good mentor? >> all this time i thought she was such a bright kid, but i do not 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 military? >> almost 12 years. brian lamb: why did you go into the military? >> i wanted to do what my grandparents did, like giving back to the united states before they pursued their own careers, whether that be public are putting food on the table. i did not give thought as to whether that was traditional for women, it seemed american. i plan to only be in for five years before i moved to something else after the military. brian: so, you changed your mind. >> yes, sir.

brian: thank you very much. 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 at the speaker who most inspired me this week would have to be mr. jack warren, the director of the society in cincinnati which, some background on that is 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. mr. warned, i have to admit, she was not the speaker i was most looking forward to 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 and a tug at the heartstrings a little bit.

chief justice on the supreme court, but listening to one of the inspirational 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: but you're going to go? >> yes, sir. 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 want to talk about the people we met from nasa. it was so inspiring to hear from people like the nasa administrator as well as other people from the goddard center. although some 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 line of insight into looking into where our tax money is going and asking the rude questions that 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 interested. that would be amazing. brian: we will see if we can work it out for you. thank you very much. i want to switch and find out when 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.

your name and where you from? >> nathan from oklahoma. brian lamb: what is your high school? >> booker t. washington high school. brian lamb: we have a studentcam contest every year and we had 2800 entries in 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 blogging 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. and so, 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. i think, i mean 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 you see that a few weeks ago there was the republican debate where everyone was just attacking each other. night, people were civil and respectable and had a real substantive step debate. i think it is the real people to the extent that the polling tells them to be. brian lamb: 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 drop the hardline, 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, intentions and goals they want to make happen and i think what we are saying to 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: yes, sir.

>> i am jackson wilkins from hadi so, 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 smiles on their faces. i was kind of surprised he does the media teaches us that democrats and republicans are supposed to be at odds with each other. i think that people need to recognize, 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 vitriol. brian lamb: does the politician have any responsibility?

>> yes. they need to be respectful toward each other. even though we disagree, we are all working toward the same goal, want what is best for the united states. we just disagree on the past to --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 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 and 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 and 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 any time a candidate is on the news cycle they are trying to push people 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 everyone. brian lamb: who else has something to say about this campaign?

>> i go to school in west virginia. brian lamb: where? >> martinsburg. brian lamb: what do you think? >> politics is hard 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 -- partisanship. not bipartisanship. and the severe divide. she said, 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 the history have some of people watched the debates during primaries. good or bad? >> if you like sports it is really good. [laughter]

brian lamb: is a 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 some of people are coming out because they want to see somebody say something nasty. they want to see something exciting happen. and, coming to a program like this, we work 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 people 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, that 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, so inspiring to see that we are all together even if we have different opinions. brian: 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 with establishment politics, see the same stuff over and over and over and it is

also a credit to the politicians for being able to capitalize on this type of environment. you know, you would not see people like this being so successful with such a polarized years. in any other this is just showing the evolution of politics and how the voters really want a change. they want something different. they do not want the establishment we have been seeing for all this time. i think it is very valuable in that regard and i think this campaign is important. others may criticize it and say it is childish or there are too many people hurling insults, i think it is drying people out and building on their politics -- passions. it is something different and something american politics me. 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 actually kind of interesting. we get to is very curated and filtered and we are very insulated from the political atmosphere, and i am a big fan of politics so that is why i really value that we are having something that is drawing some of you people out, even in okinawa where you don't have much political conversation, people are not talking about politics and these debates are bringing people out of their shells and make them realize politics is going to make a difference. -- people are now talking about politics. whether it is the extreme candidates with a moderate ones, they will make a change in our 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? please, come up.

now i need someone from the left. is there an extreme leftists? [laughter] brian lamb: yes, come on up. let's settle this problem right here now. >> i live in dewitt, arkansas. >> i 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 to i really started getting into local politics and state politics and finally understood 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: we could use a few auditors here in washington. 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 eventually 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: we need to more of these. give me an left-winger? who is outspoken?

[laughter] brian lamb: come on over here. now i need an outspoken right-winger. yes, this gentleman. come over here. >> 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? >> at the us are. us are.me of >> i took mine off.

brian lamb: why? >> i didn't want to upset any democrats. [laughter] brian lamb: what issue are you most concerned about? >> the intention of the constitution. i think it is forgotten. i want to go back to our roots. >> i feel strongest about campaign finance reform. [applause] brian lamb: wait a minute. why did they all know this? >> it is pretty much all i have talked about this week. [laughter] >> i feel money has a corrupting influence in politics. we have to take democracy back to the people, back to where was meant to be in the first place. brian lamb: what would you do? >> i would propose a constitutional amendment to overturn citizens united. [applause] brian lamb: what do you think? >> i think i believe in the first amendment. one way you can express yourself is to donate to a cause. or donating to a cause that prevents a cause you do not support. [applause] brian lamb: what issue is the

most important to you besides the constitution? >> more important than the constitution? [laughter] >> how can you ask that, my goodness. that is a tough one. that is my entire life. brian lamb: what is your second most important issue? [laughter] >> right after the constitution. why don't you go to andrew and ask him that question? >> the second most in port value is our american values. that sounds really trite, but i do think we do not care like we to, the people do not have the same respect that we used to. we see this but the rise of nationalism and this nasty, disgusting xenophobia on the campaign trail. we need to get back to respecting all americans, no matter what their backgrounds and to making this country more

respectable place where people are more welcome to give their opinions. >> yes, i am ready. i think there is a big problem in this country into this political correctness. i think we need people with principles and conviction and are willing to fight for these principles and conviction. i understand the need for bipartisanship at times but i think it is important that politicians go to washington or go to their state capitals with their eyes on a goal and they are determined to meet that goal instead of sacrificing it in the name of bipartisanship or whatever this is. brian lamb: if you to have a moment every day to go someplace and find out what you believe or back up what you believe or someone in the media in respect to most, who would it be? >> i like to read the national interest for foreign policy. sometimes it leans to thought to the right but i like to get that other perspective on international affairs. brian lamb: i expect your other high school fellows are doing the same thing. >> the democrats in the room what me to say fox news because

-- one to me to say fox news because it feeds right into their dialogue that you know, -- google news cap -- cap app is one of the best tools that any 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] >> no, fox news is good, too, fair and balanced. [laughter] >> i imagine the truth falls in the middle of everything. brian lamb: thank you gentlemen. [applause] brian lamb: we have two more over here. please both of you stand and face this way so the cameras can pick you up.

>> i am from mission, texas. brian lamb: left or right? >> left. >> i am from mississippi and i am moderate-right. brian: so, you two were sitting here together. are you friends? >> yes, i would say so. >> absolutely. brian lamb: we have something going here, folks. [laughter] brian lamb: what are you most passionate about? >> the reason i am leaning toward the left, a bit moderate but mostly toward the left is because i believe we should all have social freedom to decide what we believe to be morally right and morally wrong whether it is the issue of abortion or whether it is about your sexual -- i don't know how to explain it. brian lamb: your sexuality? >> yes, it your sexuality or

anything socially. you should be able to decide for yourself and so the politicians. you should be able to choose what is right and have your life model your own morality because i believe morality is a relative concept and we all come from very different backgrounds. there is a lot of immigrants in our country and there are people from so many different religions that we should really have our own choice. [applause] >> one of the issues where i generally fall right on is issues of economic policy. i believe strongly in fiscal responsibility and i think the government has grown to spend a lot of money and have duplicate projects that it does not necessarily have to fund. there's a lot of issues where we have the government renting office space that just uses to store things. we have places where we can really can find this goal -- sorry, where we can find money we can cut and become more accountable to the people, reducing national debt, and find things we can also find and

support in more effective ways. i think when the government is more accountable fiscally it is able to do more socially. where we are both kind of moderate, i believe in moderate social freedoms but at the same time i think the government has to take a step back and stop stop trying to play such a strong role in everyone's economic daily life. brian lamb: what do 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. but there are people out there that do not care about politics as much. and i believe a lot of people

sometimes feel the government is interested in the things that they do and 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. for my undergraduate work, i think i am going to do journalism or political science. >> 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 influenced 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. what is your name and where are you from. >> 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. about what i actually think. 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 opinions 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 nobody knows it. even people who live in maine. [laughter] brian lamb: yes, sir. >> as cliche as it sounds, 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 -- work ethics, 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? >> he had leukemia and he passed away from 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: what does he do? >> he farms. ryan: thanks, rather. 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 them what they needed. brian lamb: it is tough living there in carmel, isn't it? >> i know. brian lamb: what do you remember that she specifically did that was important to you. >> what was important to her, how she could 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: it good story. thank you. let's go over here to an area to

someone we have not heard from. 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 system in this country. i am incredibly fortunate not to have that problem. we have at ourat high school really believe in the students, and my history teacher, my government teacher, sorinciple -- they are dedicated to education. i am really indebted to them. give us an example of something they have done, the reason you are and that it? >> 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 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 of the way in my life, he has an able and kind of and courage me to push those limits. them ah i do argue with lot over anything and everything, it is still amazing to that rosen in your life who you can go back to in say, well, he is the one i want to be like. --an: what are your prompt plans? >> right now, i want to be everything from a music educator to apolicy analyst journalist. i mean, it is all over the place. i am all over the place. is still time. i want to do something i've never done. she is going to 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. but, the impact you will have makes me realize everything i do for you here and all of us on

safed do for you is really the greatest gift we can do for 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. that was a lot of fun. she does put a lot of work into this. who is your mentor? >> i am from montgomery, alabama and 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. i have worked with an environmental causes that do not get that much support were i am from. 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, 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 probably fill a a lot of the law schools.

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 public 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 begin to focus on her career beyond teaching and now she is an assistant superintendent in the north providence school district and she makes her much impact everyday. she comes in from work exhausted every day and i am always telling her that she could probably use some more sleep, but she definitely puts her heart into everything she does and i could not 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, because she is a medical -- 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 might 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 am 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? >> 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 who likes paying his taxes. to getreally inspired me more involved in a country that has given them and me an opportunity to grow and 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] greg's i don't know. i guess i have just been sociable. i guess i am probably funny and they probably want to hear a joke 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? and then we had some knockout debate rounds kind of of about a third topic. it was really fun and i am 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. how much it has meant to as being blessed with this experience from the hearst foundation and hopefully i can try to capture a little bit of the motion 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. as a lot of people who have brought up in their small speeches today. 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 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 stay where you are. tell us who 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.

so, i think that really brings it back to us, that we are all aspiring leaders in our world. social goals or goals to attain, and i think those were really powerful words he said. brian lamb: thank you. we may be have time for one more. yes, ma'am. >> i think we all need to remember to challenge to we are. and find our ideals people who do not agree with you believe so you can strengthen your own arguments and believes and maybe change them. you need to just find a way to rely should cannot live in europe 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 is to 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] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] >> for free transcripts or to give us your comments about this program, visit us at q&a.org. programs are also available as c-span podcasts. announcer: the united states senate youth program takes students from across the country to washington, d.c., each year. this program, you can find others like it online at two span.org. the house is in recess for another week but the senate is

meeting today. they will start with a session on corporate trade secrets. a vote is expected at 5:30 p.m. you can follow it on our companion network, c-span2. >> it this month we showcase our studentcam winners. c-span's annual documentary competition for middle and high school students. this year's theme is "road to the white house," and students were asked, what do you want presidential candidates to discuss. our winners leah phillips and nguyen again -- justin want discussion on students with autism. called "autism

is a journey, not a sentence." >> the number is growing. studies have shown the prevalence of autism has been increasing by six percent-15% each year since 2002. >> with the rise in autism diagnosis, questions arise. what is autism? how does it affect such a large segment of the population. a doctor toiewed find out. >> the clinical definition is a developmental disorder. at a certain age, cannot meet certain milestones have a problem with communications. they withdraw from social activities. are ase symptoms collection of symptoms. assuming i am a an autistic kid.

when i look at you, you look horrible. not because you are bad. in my mind, i see everything overloaded. not just having a problem communicating that they feel horrible, horrible pain. one out ofstates, 58, have to remember, if you follow the trajectory, it will affect every family in the next 10 years. up to this point i would say there is no treatment for autism. this addition to university's charitable organization, has been set up to help families with children with autism. thenterviewed someone from private organization contracted by the state of california to help families with developmental abilities. >> california has made a substantial financial commitment $3.5 million, of which nearly

2.2 billion is federal dollars. so you can see if the state dollars were taken away, we are not even funding half. less then half of what we are doing right now for a lengthy people and we would be in a similar situation with the rest of the states that only have federal dollars. hugs all of the other states have waiting lists. some as long as 14 years. inifornia made a commitment 1969 that they were going to serve people with developmental disabilities. that was huge. because that means california tax dollars were going to be used for this. where the challenge is happening is all these vendors, these programs that provide services have not had an increase since 2002 or 2003.

we have vendors going out of business because hardly anybody can operate on what you are making in 2003 in 2016. that needs to be repaired or this system could be on somewhat of a collapse. >> the fact is, they are all right. enough money being placed on the various possible causes of autism. there is not enough study. not collectnt does statistics as well as perhaps someday soon we will so that in fact we can find out what the true number is. crosscheck every aspect of how that number, which is a human being, came to be afflicted. >> the federal and state government and other organizations are attempting to help these families but it is a daunting challenge. to get a more clear view of the effect on the family when a family member has autism.

, 22 hours a day for six years. it was difficult. difficult to function. .f a call to hold a job difficult to remain married and have other children. autism is very difficult for families because on average they spend out-of-pocket every year from year one $60,000. that is equivalent of sending your kid to college in some cases, until you are no longer able to pay. so, it can be a huge burden on families. lot of families, and autism diagnosis, they know something is wrong. they just do not have a name for it. to mine, it was a comfort have a name to know what we are addressing. for me, when i look at an autism diagnosis, it gives me a label that can jive me to service and action. >> many families depend upon

federal dollars to a century costs. however, for many families having a child with autism is a rewarding experiences. some families declined and because of stigmatization. one agreed to talk to us. >> having an autistic child is great and teaches us patience and the ability to slow ourselves down in our world and connect into our child's own world. could ask the presidential candidates any question, it would be based on the numbers of kids that are in and diagnosis of autism, in the years to come, in 10 or 20 years when these mothers and fathers are no longer around, how are we addressing the issue of them contributing to society? how are they going to be part of familieswhat to our going to do. we have to be able to teach our

children how to function without us and with the higher diagnosis levels we have now, more in markets are being diagnosed with autism, how will they be treated in society to keep this country going? ans we have autism at epidemic right. we have less funding and a huge influx of children. they domma is not, can a good job with what they have? i think they are overwhelmed with the quantity and a number of cases of autism. the support services are just not there. the infrastructure is not there. >> what i would like to see presidential candidate just acknowledge this challenge and --e sure that it is everybody is aware and states are following through to make sure families get the support they need related to autism and any other developmental issue. ♪

>> to watch all of the prize-winning documentaries and this year's studentcam competition, visit studentcam.org. on c-span this morning, washington journalist next. then at 10:00, we will take you live to the center for strategic and international studies for a discussion on maritime cooperation in the asia-pacific. later, the cato institute takes a look at u.s. counterterrorism efforts. that is live at noon eastern. on today's washington journal, we will take a look at the congressional agenda over the next several months with paul kane of the washington post and kristina peterson of the wall street journal. then, christina peterson of the wall street journal. talks aboutonzales

which states are least and most dependent on federal assistance. and later, create gilbert gives us a preview of wisconsin's presidential primary. ♪ host: good morning on capitol hill, the senate returns to work this week. the president's nominee for supreme court justice will meet with 11 senators. also on the senate agenda, a bill allowing civil litigation if international trade secrets are stolen at a bill that would provide additional funding for tighter security along the perimeter of airports. the house returns next week. it is mond