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Bobby Washington, 12, won a $5,000 college scholarship from Brainstorm USA for his entry in the company's 'Dare to Dream, Expect to Succeed' program in which he said he planned to become president of the United States. SCOTT NEVILLE/THE FREE LANCE-STAR Visit the Photo Place

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12-year-old plans to be the president

Sixth-grader from Stafford County wants to be president, wins scholarship for his dream

Date published: 11/26/2007

BY JEFF BRANSCOME

When Bobby Washington was 10, his mother found him asleep in his room with a 1,008-page autobiography of former President Bill Clinton on his chest.

Bobby, now 12, has policy positions on the environment and the war. He's pushing for battery-operated cars, and he wants the war in Iraq to end.

"My main focus is to try to mend the bonds we've probably broken" with other countries, he said.

The sixth-grader at Gayle Middle School in Stafford County even owns two T-shirts with the words "Future President" on them.

He's not joking.

That dream recently earned him a $5,000 scholarship from Atlanta-based Brainstorm USA, which markets educational material.

While attending Anne E. Moncure Elementary School, he made a DVD titled "Bobby Washington: The Priming of a President," entered it into a national contest called "Dare to Dream--Expect to Succeed" and won.

He's the third Stafford student to win the scholarship in the past five years. This year, another Moncure student, Katie Hunter, placed third.

Bobby's mom, Roberta Washington, said he confirmed his presidential aspirations when he was 5, about the time George W. Bush defeated Al Gore for president.

The morning after that election, she said, her son hurried downstairs to watch the TV news.

"I was not the most politically active parent ever," said Washington, who teaches English at Forest Park High School in Prince William County. "It came out of nowhere."

But she has taken him all over the world, including to Egypt and South Africa. "I just wanted to show him how others live--give him an appreciation for other cultures," she said.

When asked if he wants to be president, Bobby doesn't smile or giggle. He looks straight ahead and simply says "yes."

"I thought I had a lot of great ideas," he said of why he first wanted to be president. "Probably the best way to let my ideas come out is by being president."

A couple years ago, Bobby met President Bush at Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria, but said he didn't ask any questions.

However, sometimes Bobby's mother has to ask him to hold back when talking about divisive issues. One segment of Bobby's DVD shows him speaking behind a lectern to some of Washington's students.

Wearing a suit and clip-on tie, he says the country needs change, better schools "and not war!" He raised his hand to cheers.

Presidential aspirations aside, Bobby is a typical kid: He likes to tend to his pet turtle Bongo, play video games and watch professional wrestling.

"He's the greatest son in the world," his mom said.

Maybe, one day, he'll be the greatest president, too.

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Date published: 11/26/2007

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