Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
President to Honor High School Students for Academic Excellence
Aired June 25, 2001 - 10:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will honor today some of the nation's most distinguished high school students. Each spring, 141 graduating seniors are named as presidential scholars. They are chosen for qualities including their leadership, commitment to community and, of course, scholarship is also considered.
We are joined today by two of the young scholars selected this year. Jayson Morgan is from Reno High School in Reno, Nevada, and Emily Kendall is from North High School in Evansville, Indiana. They're both in our Washington bureau.
Good morning, how both you guys doing today.
EMILY KENDALL, 2001 PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR: Great.
JAYSON MORGAN, 2001 PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR: Good, how are you?
HARRIS: Glad to have you with us today. It's quite an honor. Well, how did it feel to be named as a 2001 Presidential Scholar, starting with you, Emily.
KENDALL: It's really quite an honor. I'm excited to be able to -- be able to come and be with all these student, who really are the top students in the country, and to be recognized. We get to meet President Bush today. I'm looking forward to that. It's an honor to receive this kind of recognition.
HARRIS: But see, you guys are the top of the top. Jayson, how about you?
MORGAN: Basically the same sentiments as Emily. It's quite an amazing honor, and it's really exciting week. We've done a lot of things this week, like we went to Six Flags yesterday, and just, you know, being able to spend a week with all these young scholars is pretty amazing.
HARRIS: How many scholars in all, totally, across the country were in contention do you think? Do either of you know?
KENDALL: I think initially they asked about 100 from each state to apply, something around there.
HARRIS: Well -- Jayson, go ahead. (CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Oh, I was just saying, I think there was a lot of scholars that were nominated, but you can't choose to be nominated. They nominate you, and then there was the semi-finalist process, which was only three boys and three girls from each state, and then, finally, they actually pick the scholars.
HARRIS: All right, so what is it that separated the two of you from the other students that you were competing with. Let's start with you, Emily. What do you think it was that separated you from the rest of the students in Indiana?
KENDALL: I'm not really sure. But they -- we wrote a lot of essays that were used to choose the scholars. It asked us questions about influences, passions we have, things we'd like to change in the future in society, community involvements we've had in the past.
HARRIS: All right, well, how about you, Jayson?
MORGAN: Yes, basically the same thing. I don't really know because actually, there was -- the other scholars in our state, some of the nominees were actually from my school, so I knew these people, and so I didn't really know -- I mean, everybody at that level had things going for them, and we had no idea how they were going to choose during the application process.
HARRIS: So, what is it that you get with this? I'm assuming there's got to be some kind of a scholarship involved here.
KENDALL: Actually, there's not.
HARRIS: Really?
KENDALL: This is just one week of recognition.
HARRIS: Yet get squat? That's it?
KENDALL: No money involved, which I guess could be useful going to college in the fall, but it really is a nice week. We've -- they're treating us to all this.
MORGAN: Yes, an all-expense paid trip to Washington is always a treat.
KENDALL: We're enjoying the week.
HARRIS: It's nice when you're living on somebody else's credit card.
KENDALL: Sure.
HARRIS: Now, as I understand it, the ceremony takes place at 3 p.m. this afternoon. Are you both going to get a chance to meet the president? KENDALL: I'm not sure that we're going to get to talk to him, but we're going to go shake his hand, maybe have a few seconds to speak to him.
HARRIS: All right, so you're going to have a few seconds to speak with hi at 3:30, I'm told now is when that ceremony is going to happen.
MORGAN: Right.
HARRIS: So, what is it you're going to say when you get a chance to finally meet the leader of the free world, as they say? What are you going to say, Jayson?
MORGAN: I don't really know. I was told that we're just going to get to shake his hand, and I mean, of course, it's always an honor to meet the president, but I think that's pretty much all we'll have time to say, at least during the ceremony.
HARRIS: OK, and you're not going to try to lobby about getting some scholarship money for those 2001 scholars?
(CROSSTALK)
KENDALL: ... ask him to vote for them in 2020, but I don't have any plans.
HARRIS: All right, finally, on the way out, what's been the coolest part of this: Hanging out with the other students or being on TV?
KENDALL: Probably getting to be with such an incredible group of students.
HARRIS: All right, well, it's a group to which the both of you are wonderful additions. We can give you our congratulations. Jayson Morgan and Emily Kendall, congratulations and have a great time while you're there one someone else's dimes.
KENDALL: Thank you.
MORGAN: Thank you.
HARRIS: Good luck down the road. We will see you later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
