An aspiring journalist, believed to be the youngest person ever to interview a sitting US president, has suddenly passed away at the young age of 23.
Damon Weaver was 11 years old when he interviewed former President Barack Obama in 2009 during his first year in office.
As an 11-year-old, student reporter Weaver landed the interview of his dreams with then-President Obama. In the 10-minute interview, the two discussed a lot of topics ranging from education in America, funding, and even whether Obama had the power to change school lunches. Weaver’s suggestion included French fries and mangoes as staples for all students. From that interview, people started calling him ‘Kid Reporter.’
Weaver direct, yet likeable with his line of questioning. He asked Obama questions like “As president, you get bullied a lot. How do you handle it?”
His sister, Candace Hardy, told the Palm Beach Post that her brother died of natural causes.
“He was loved by everyone,” Hardy told the Florida paper. “No matter if it was a stranger, his mom or a family member, he was just a ball of light with so much energy. He was always positive, always had a smile on a face and he was always a joy to be around. He left an impact on a lot of people.”
“He was a light, the life of the party,” she continued. “Everybody just couldn’t wait to be around him. Family gatherings were always fun because of his presence.”
“I had just gotten to work and my brother text(ed) me and told me that he was at the hospital,” Hardy said. “And by the time I got there from where I work, he had already passed away.”
His journalism teacher, Brian Zimmerman, told The Palm Beach Post in 2016 that Weaver had natural talent and was eager to participate in the program after Zimmerman made his pitch to fifth-graders.
“I’ve tried to have other kids as reporters, but nobody has ever been like he was,” Zimmerman said. “He was calm, natural and had a big personality. He could think of funny questions, and he liked being around people.”
“Damon was the kid who ran after me in the hall to tell me he was interested,” Zimmerman continued. “And right away, I just saw the potential for the way he was on camera. You could see his personality come through.”
Before landing his interview with the former president, Weaver got the chance to interview then-Vice President, now President Joe Biden in 2008 when he was visiting Florida. He also got the opportunity to interview other high-profile people such as Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Wade. He graduated from Royal Palm Beach Community High School in 2016 and received his degree in communications from Albany State University in 2020. He intended to become a sports journalist and hoped to cover the NFL before moving on to his even bigger dreams.
“I like being a reporter because you get to learn a lot of things. you get to meet nice people and you get to travel a lot,” Weaver told the AP.
The Rev. William Holmes, a pastor in the Pahokee area, where Weaver grew up, probably summed up Weaver’s potential the best.
“He always talked about being president,” Rev. Holmes said.
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