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Students' Surprise Seatmate

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  • Students' Surprise Seatmate

    "We Didn't Know He Was Clarence Thomas"
    High school students share a plane ride, invite him to graduation

    By CARISSA DIMARGO and CHRIS GORDON
    Updated 3:33 PM EDT, Tue, Jun 2, 2009

    High school seniors Terrence Stephens and Jason Ankrah, star football players at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Md., were sitting on a plane returning from a recruitment session at the University of Nebraska when they struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to them.

    Their seat-mate just happened to be a major Cornhuskers fan.

    When they started chatting, Stephens and Ankrah didn't have a clue they were holding court with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

    "I was amazed this guy knew so much about us as football players and as people," said Stephens. "That was shocking. I felt honored to be known by someone of his caliber. He was just a regular old guy, sitting in coach, which really shocked me."

    By the time the plane landed, the students had figured out who Thomas was, and they promptly told their principal they wanted to invite Thomas to give the keynote speech at their high school graduation. Of course, Principal Carole Working didn't exactly think Thomas would take them up on it. But he showed up at the high school on Monday.

    "These young men had no idea who I was as I formed my first impression. I was just another stranger to them. They were wonderful ambassadors for your school and for their fellow students," said Thomas at the Quince Orchard graduation ceremony.

    When Stephens and Ankrah arrived on-stage to receive their diplomas, they were both embraced by Justice Thomas.

    Ankrah will be playing football for Nebraska next year, but Stephens will be attending Stanford. The justice said he doesn't have any hard feelings over that.
    "We Didn't Know He Was Clarence Thomas" | NBC Washington
    "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

  • #2
    Very nice story GN. it is inspiring to hear ones like this. great find again. Good news is getting harder and harder to come by. Besides, I really like Thomas. Quite possibly my most respected of them all.

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    • #3
      Thanks. I thought that was a fun story to post. We just don't know who we might run into in our daily lives.
      Last edited by gunnut; 04 Jun 09,, 18:05.
      "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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