NATCHEZ — Mingling with President Obama at the White House, doing the ole’ grip and grin with Sen. Thad Cochran at the Capitol and dining 5 feet away from the Magna Carta and U.S. Constitution at the National Archives was a lot of red, white and blue to squeeze in one week for 17-year-old Cal Wilkerson.

“It was sublime,” said the Wilkinson County Christian Academy senior as he leaned back in a chair — still catching his breath from his experience in Washington D.C.

“It was the greatest experience in my life so far,” he said.

Wilkerson, a Woodville resident, was one of two high school students in Mississippi chosen for the U.S. Senate Youth Program.

The program, which has been in place since 1962, is open to standout high school junior and seniors who hold a student council office.

Each of the 103 youth delegates are awarded with a weeklong, insider visit to Washington after scoring well on an exam testing local and national issues and passing an interview.

For his essay portion of the test, Wilkerson said he wrote about problems with the presidential primary process.

Wilkerson said he blamed the 24-hour TV news media, which he thought made up its collective mind who the frontrunner was before a vote was cast, for shaping the way voters think when they go to the polls. Wilkerson said he also wrote about how constant media coverage could be the reason other candidates, like Haley Barbour, Chris Christie and Sarah Palin chose not to run to avoid vicious personal attacks of their private lives.

When Wilkerson got called to the principal’s office to answer a phone call from his father with the news he had been accepted to the SYP, Wilkerson wasn’t expecting it.

“I thought someone in my family had died,” he said.

But he was thrilled to hear the news.

“I was ecstatic. I went crazy,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson returned to Woodville last week after his trip March 3-10.

Wilkerson, who said he already knows he wants to attend Ole Miss and practice law privately, “to figure out what it means to be a private citizen of America and Mississippi,” before considering public office, got the chance to speak casually about meeting the president.

“He’s the most charismatic man I’ve ever met in my life,” Wilkerson said.

Though Wilkerson said he has a few years before he can legally make good on his intent, he said Obama was the kind of guy with whom he would want to have a beer.

“I can see why he was elected, even though I don’t necessarily agree with all of his policies,” Wilkerson said.

But Wilkerson said he wouldn’t be cliché by naming the 12-minute visit with the leader of the free world as his No. 1 highlight.

A talk by Chief Justice John Roberts impressed him, Wilkerson said. He enjoyed the casual, personable setting Roberts set forth and appreciated that he took so many questions from the delegates.

“He was real laid back, kind of short — like all (famous) people — with these burning blue eyes,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said he got the feeling that the selection of the speakers and the tone of their messages were intended to preach bi-partisanship and working together in Washington.

“Especially with the polarizing climate since 2010 when 89 new freshman Tea Party congressmen (were elected),” the 17-year-old added.

Wilkerson said he believes the program intended to make an impact on the young people, especially since some of them might be the country’s future leaders.

Wilkerson himself said he got autographs from the fellow students in the program that he’s certain will be valuable some day since so many of the friends he made show such promise.

Though the array of speakers included the top leaders of all three branches of government, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, one of Wilkerson’s biggest take-away lessons came from one of the group’s military mentors who accompanied them on the trip, Maj. Archie Bates.

Wilkerson said Bates told them, “Make an impact, not an impression.”

Wilkerson said Bates said it wasn’t their resumes and list of accomplishments that will set them apart, but what they do with their lives and experiences that matters.

In addition to serving as student council president and vice president of his class, Wilkerson is the Quiz Bowl captain, secretary for the National Honor Society, member of the varsity football, basketball, tennis and track teams, Character Counts and Science Olympiad and was homecoming king at WCCA.

He has also been playing piano since he was young and plays the organ at his church on Sundays.

He credits his motivation to never wanting to disappoint his parents and grandparents, Lee and Ann Morris, who support him unconditionally.

“I can’t bear the though of letting them down, especially my grandparents,” Wilkerson said.

“It’s my way of giving back.”

Wilkerson said he thanks God every day for the opportunity he was given.

And said he hopes to stay just as busy as ever going forward.

“It keeps me about of trouble,” he said. “I get a productivity high.”

Wilkerson is the son of David and Elizabeth Wilkerson.