Nationwide — Damon Weaver, who made headlines when he interviewed President Barack Obama in 2009, has sadly died at the age of 23. He was the youngest person to interview a sitting President when he was just 11-years old.
A student at Canal Point Elementary School, Weaver raised 12 questions that focused on topics such as education, bullying, school lunches, conflict resolution, and how to succeed.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” his sister Candace Hardy told The Palm Beach Post. “That’s the only way to describe it… It was life-changing for him.”
Aside from President Obama, Weaver also had the opportunity to meet and interview President Joe Biden, who was then a U.S. senator, basketball star Dwayne Wade, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey.
After graduating high school, Weaver went to Albany State University in Georgia on scholarship, pursuing a degree in communications. He plans to become a sports journalist covering the National Football League.
Damon enjoyed meeting new people and he also mentored other aspiring young journalists.
“A lot of people looked up to him,” Hardy said. “With him being so young, he made a way for more students to engage in journalism.”
Damon was set to return to college in the fall to continue his studies. However, he sadly died earlier this month due to natural causes, according to Hardy. Weaver is remembered as a nice, intelligent, helpful, and genuine person.
“He was loved by everyone. 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.”