Jess Beasley, NYSC NC 2002, Staph 2006, recently called into National Public Radio’s Science Friday hosted by Ira Flatow with guest Dean Kamen. Here’s an excerpt from the transcript:

FLATOW: Let’s go to Jess(ph) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hi, Jess.

JESS (Caller): Hi.

FLATOW: Hi, there.

JESS: I would like to mention from the topic earlier where it was spoken about science students getting to meet the president. I didn’t get to meet the president when he was the president, but he was still a senator. There’s a program called National Youth Science Camp and I was both a delegate at it, and then later a staff member. And we have a Senate luncheon every year. And it is unfortunate that so few of the senators actually attend. Everyone is invited, but we only usually get a couple attending. But there is recognition. And as we were leaving one year, Obama, in 2006 – though he was still senator came and noticed us all and spoke to us, and mentioned the importance of science.

FLATOW: Yeah. He has made that a theme of his campaign and also of his now that he’s in the White House, I remember him promising to say that he would be bringing, you know, kids and scientists to the White House, just like basketball stars, and he’s done that.

JESS: That’s great.