Education & Opportunity

With all of the news reports about the passing of President Gerald Ford, I'm reminded of a brief conversation I had with him back at the 1996 Republican National Convention. At the time, I was a 19-year-old college student. I was attending both the Republican and Democratic conventions that year to write a newspaper column on the youth perspective on politics.

As I was walking through the convention complex one day, I saw President Ford and a small entourage walking the other direction. So I decided to walk alongside the president, introducing myself and striking up a quick conversation.

I asked him a few questions about leadership and the youth vote, but what I remember most is how he treated me. Even though he was on his way to an appointment, he still treated me graciously and with respect. He listened to all of my questions. He considered them thoughtfully. As a college kid, I clearly wasn't the most important person he could have been talking to, but he still made time for me anyway. That meant a lot.

Thank you, President Ford, for your service to our country. And thanks for making a little time for a wide-eyed kid from Eugene, Oregon, who just wanted to chat.