Suggested Interview Questions

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1. Richard, you have worked with high-achieving high school students for three decades. What are their top concerns and what do they need to succeed?
2. There’s a popular belief that high-achieving students are well equipped and “will do just fine.” Why do you say they don’t get the support they need in school?
3. What effect have “No Child Left Behind” and other educational reforms had on prospects for the brightest students in public schools?
4. Your surveys of high-achieving students show that many of them feel under tremendous pressure to perform. What can you tell us about these results?
5. What can parents do to help kids deal with the stress they feel?
6. Your organization, The National Leadership Academies, sponsors annual gatherings for high-achieving students who aspire to be future leaders in medicine, science and technology. What are the requirements for students to attend and how are they nominated?
7. You’ve done before and after surveys of students who attend the congresses. What have these revealed about their experiences?
8. Do parents attend with their kids?
9. What have you learned from your surveys of parents?
10. You say that kids come away from these events more relaxed, but parents often feel more anxious afterwards. Why?
11. What is the socio-economic makeup of families who send their kids to these events?
12. Traditionally education has been a primary force that allowed new generations of Americans to attain a higher standard of living than their parents. Has that changed?
13. You have some pretty amazing names among adult speakers who attend these events - people such as John Craig Venter, Ph.D., who decoded the human genome. Who are some others?
14. Why do top leaders in medicine, science and technology take the time to come and talk with high school students?
15. How do students get to interact with them at the congresses?
16. Some of the students who have attended the congresses have done groundbreaking research in medicine and technology before leaving high school. Tell us about them.
17. What’s the most important thing high-achieving students need to know to help them get into the college of their choice?
18. You say our nation’s top high school students are an enormous force for positive change in the world. What do they gain by coming together with other like-minded students?
19. How are these kids viewed in their own communities and schools?
20. Why is it important for them to “find their tribe” at events such as The National Leadership Academies annual congresses?
21. What are job prospects like for students entering careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) arena?
22. Do these firms actually scout for future employees at the congresses?
23. What are some of the ways students benefit by networking with each other and top leaders in their fields?
24. The National Leadership Academies offers scholarships to its yearly congresses, but kids have to have a 3.5 grade point average to attend. You also offer some free resources for all students. What are they and how can people find out more?
25. Are scholarships available for students with financial need?