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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Rachel Abbattee, John Abbattee

Aired November 10, 2002 - 11:47   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: High school homecoming games are a fall tradition along with elections for homecoming queen. But students at a school in Georgia decided to make this year memorable for themselves and a classmate with cerebral palsy. Don McCleland (ph) of CNN affiliate station, WSB reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your 2002 home coming queen is Miss Rachel Abbattee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was one of those special moments that you only see ever so often.

DON MCCLELAND (voice-over): Special because the students at Harrison High in Cobb County chose a woman with cerebral palsy as their homecoming queen.

KATHY JORDAN, SPECIAL ED TEACHER: This is the first time in my history of Special Ed that we have had a homecoming queen selected from a student that we serve.

RACHEL ABBATTEE, HOMECOMING QUEEN: I was very happy that my friends picked me.

MCCLELAND (ph): Rachel, remembering homecoming night brings uncontrollable tears of joy.

R. ABBATTEE: That my...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. It's OK.

MCCLELAND (ph) (on camera): Is it true that women cry when they're happy?

ABBATTEE: Yes.

MCCLELAND (on camera): For more than 2,000 students here at Harrison High, it was a secret ballot among six nominees. We don't know exactly what the results were, but we hear it was a landslide for Rachel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's so friendly. She's just really nice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Always has a smile on her face, so. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only do I think it was special for her, I was thinking how special it was for our kids. It was something that our kids wanted. Our kids wanted her to be homecoming queen.

MCCLELAND (ph): Rachel plans a career in computers, but will always remember her friends picking her as homecoming queen and the after game honor from the winning Harrison football game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that running around is like a gift. And so, we just -- we gave her the game ball after the game.

MCCLELAND (ph): A crown and a ball, Rachel Abbattee will always treasure.

From Harrison High in Cobb County, Don McCleland (ph), Channel 2 Action News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: We are pleased to have Harrison High School's reigning homecoming queen right here in our studios. Rachel Abbattee is here with her brother, John, who actually plays on the football team, right?

JOHN ABBATTEE, BROTHER: Yes, ma'am.

LIN: Rachel, that was a big night. I just loved watching that story and I know you've seen that footage several times. But what was that like when they called your name?

R. ABBATTEE: It was exciting.

LIN: It looked incredibly exciting. And the girls looked really, really happy for you, too. Were you surprised? Why were you surprised? I hear you're pretty popular on campus.

R. ABBATTEE: Because I didn't know I was going to be picked.

LIN: You didn't know you were going to be picked. What is the process, John? How does Rachel and the other girls get nominated?

J. ABBATTEE: The senior class nominates six senior girls, and then -- so there's your senior class of possible homecoming queens. And then, the whole school votes on who's going to be the homecoming queen each year.

LIN: And it's secret balloting, right?

J. ABBATTEE: Right.

LIN: All right, so Rachel, when did you first find out that you were going to be on the homecoming court?

R. ABBATTEE: When they announced the nominations...

LIN: When they announced... R. ABBATTEE: ... before Friday.

LIN: And what was going through your mind at the time? It's such an honor.

R. ABBATTEE: I was surprised.

LIN: Why do you think you won?

R. ABBATTEE: Because so many people know me.

LIN: Because so many people know you?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: What do they know Rachel for?

J. ABBATTEE: That Rachel's always happy and talkative. She's always there for other people and she puts other people before her. And, she's just a nice girl.

LIN: And that -- you know, that tells us a lot, I think, about the value system of a lot of the students in the school.

J. ABBATTEE: I mean as teenagers, you think of -- they don't think of the quality, inner qualities and -- but our school, I mean, they go by pride and character and that's why they picked Rachel.

LIN: Rachel, that's so great. I mean, what does it mean to be homecoming queen at your school? When I was in high school, it was a really big deal.

R. ABBATTEE: It was a great honor.

LIN: So do you have duties now or other responsibilities that you have?

R. ABBATTEE: You have to crown the next queen next year. I get to come back next year to crown the next queen and that's it.

LIN: What do you think it says for you to win homecoming queen?

R. ABBATTEE: It says a lot.

LIN: I mean it says a lot about -- I think it says a lot about the kids at the school. But it -- I think it says a lot about you, Rachel.

R. ABBATTEE: It does.

LIN: You know why? Because I think somehow you make people forget about your wheelchair. You make people forget that you're different than the others. It sounds like you've somehow managed to capture people's hearts and their imaginations about all your potential.

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: All right, that was a mouthful. I'm just so impressed with the results of that. What do you think, John?

J. ABBATTEE: I'm just -- it's amazing that someone with a disability can capture so many hearts and help people with their lives and live happy.

LIN: Just the dynamic because I met your family back in the green room. And, it doesn't seem to me, Rachel, that your family thinks of this as a disability. You know, it doesn't seem like it's holding you back...

R. ABBATTEE: It doesn't.

LIN: ... because you make friends pretty easily...

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: ... and you're talking about a career in computers.

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: So what kind of a -- does this have a message do you think, for other kids around the country?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes, it has a great message. Hopefully it's -- they'll get it sometime.

LIN: Maybe just to be more open-minded?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: Well, Rachel, congratulations. We're really proud of you. And I think whenever I'm feeling a little discouraged about just about anything, I'm going to remember that footage of you being named homecoming queen. What a great look on your face.

R. ABBATTEE: Thank you.

LIN: John, you must be very proud.

J. ABBATTEE: Yes, I am.

LIN: All right, well, thanks so much for joining us today. See this wasn't that hard. Thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 10, 2002 - 11:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: High school homecoming games are a fall tradition along with elections for homecoming queen. But students at a school in Georgia decided to make this year memorable for themselves and a classmate with cerebral palsy. Don McCleland (ph) of CNN affiliate station, WSB reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your 2002 home coming queen is Miss Rachel Abbattee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was one of those special moments that you only see ever so often.

DON MCCLELAND (voice-over): Special because the students at Harrison High in Cobb County chose a woman with cerebral palsy as their homecoming queen.

KATHY JORDAN, SPECIAL ED TEACHER: This is the first time in my history of Special Ed that we have had a homecoming queen selected from a student that we serve.

RACHEL ABBATTEE, HOMECOMING QUEEN: I was very happy that my friends picked me.

MCCLELAND (ph): Rachel, remembering homecoming night brings uncontrollable tears of joy.

R. ABBATTEE: That my...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. It's OK.

MCCLELAND (ph) (on camera): Is it true that women cry when they're happy?

ABBATTEE: Yes.

MCCLELAND (on camera): For more than 2,000 students here at Harrison High, it was a secret ballot among six nominees. We don't know exactly what the results were, but we hear it was a landslide for Rachel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's so friendly. She's just really nice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Always has a smile on her face, so. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only do I think it was special for her, I was thinking how special it was for our kids. It was something that our kids wanted. Our kids wanted her to be homecoming queen.

MCCLELAND (ph): Rachel plans a career in computers, but will always remember her friends picking her as homecoming queen and the after game honor from the winning Harrison football game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that running around is like a gift. And so, we just -- we gave her the game ball after the game.

MCCLELAND (ph): A crown and a ball, Rachel Abbattee will always treasure.

From Harrison High in Cobb County, Don McCleland (ph), Channel 2 Action News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: We are pleased to have Harrison High School's reigning homecoming queen right here in our studios. Rachel Abbattee is here with her brother, John, who actually plays on the football team, right?

JOHN ABBATTEE, BROTHER: Yes, ma'am.

LIN: Rachel, that was a big night. I just loved watching that story and I know you've seen that footage several times. But what was that like when they called your name?

R. ABBATTEE: It was exciting.

LIN: It looked incredibly exciting. And the girls looked really, really happy for you, too. Were you surprised? Why were you surprised? I hear you're pretty popular on campus.

R. ABBATTEE: Because I didn't know I was going to be picked.

LIN: You didn't know you were going to be picked. What is the process, John? How does Rachel and the other girls get nominated?

J. ABBATTEE: The senior class nominates six senior girls, and then -- so there's your senior class of possible homecoming queens. And then, the whole school votes on who's going to be the homecoming queen each year.

LIN: And it's secret balloting, right?

J. ABBATTEE: Right.

LIN: All right, so Rachel, when did you first find out that you were going to be on the homecoming court?

R. ABBATTEE: When they announced the nominations...

LIN: When they announced... R. ABBATTEE: ... before Friday.

LIN: And what was going through your mind at the time? It's such an honor.

R. ABBATTEE: I was surprised.

LIN: Why do you think you won?

R. ABBATTEE: Because so many people know me.

LIN: Because so many people know you?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: What do they know Rachel for?

J. ABBATTEE: That Rachel's always happy and talkative. She's always there for other people and she puts other people before her. And, she's just a nice girl.

LIN: And that -- you know, that tells us a lot, I think, about the value system of a lot of the students in the school.

J. ABBATTEE: I mean as teenagers, you think of -- they don't think of the quality, inner qualities and -- but our school, I mean, they go by pride and character and that's why they picked Rachel.

LIN: Rachel, that's so great. I mean, what does it mean to be homecoming queen at your school? When I was in high school, it was a really big deal.

R. ABBATTEE: It was a great honor.

LIN: So do you have duties now or other responsibilities that you have?

R. ABBATTEE: You have to crown the next queen next year. I get to come back next year to crown the next queen and that's it.

LIN: What do you think it says for you to win homecoming queen?

R. ABBATTEE: It says a lot.

LIN: I mean it says a lot about -- I think it says a lot about the kids at the school. But it -- I think it says a lot about you, Rachel.

R. ABBATTEE: It does.

LIN: You know why? Because I think somehow you make people forget about your wheelchair. You make people forget that you're different than the others. It sounds like you've somehow managed to capture people's hearts and their imaginations about all your potential.

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: All right, that was a mouthful. I'm just so impressed with the results of that. What do you think, John?

J. ABBATTEE: I'm just -- it's amazing that someone with a disability can capture so many hearts and help people with their lives and live happy.

LIN: Just the dynamic because I met your family back in the green room. And, it doesn't seem to me, Rachel, that your family thinks of this as a disability. You know, it doesn't seem like it's holding you back...

R. ABBATTEE: It doesn't.

LIN: ... because you make friends pretty easily...

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: ... and you're talking about a career in computers.

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: So what kind of a -- does this have a message do you think, for other kids around the country?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes, it has a great message. Hopefully it's -- they'll get it sometime.

LIN: Maybe just to be more open-minded?

R. ABBATTEE: Yes.

LIN: Well, Rachel, congratulations. We're really proud of you. And I think whenever I'm feeling a little discouraged about just about anything, I'm going to remember that footage of you being named homecoming queen. What a great look on your face.

R. ABBATTEE: Thank you.

LIN: John, you must be very proud.

J. ABBATTEE: Yes, I am.

LIN: All right, well, thanks so much for joining us today. See this wasn't that hard. Thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com