Chris Ballesteros walked through a crowded campus at Damien Memorial School like a politician in the making — exuding confidence and flashing his winning smile as classmates greeted him in the halls.

The high school senior was on his way to an after-school meeting of the student government, of which he's president.

He's also president of the school's National Honor Society, a member of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Environmental Advisory Board, a state speech and debate champion — and this year's Homecoming King.

Call it all practice for the go-getter's ultimate goal of one day becoming president of the United States.

"(Teens) have an idealistic vision of the world, and we have dreams which we want to pursue," said Chris, 17, of Foster Village. "The only thing that could possibly stand in our way ... is these dreams falling to the wayside — someone telling us that our dreams cannot be accomplished, someone discouraging us."

Encouraging teens like Chris to develop their leadership skills and nurturing their ambitions is crucial for parents to do, says Susan Sato, an educational specialist for student activities with the state Department of Education.

"Our youth will one day become the adults who will be the workforce and leaders of our communities tomorrow, so it is critical for educators, parents and community members to work together to prepare our students for the future," Sato said.

PARENTAL SUPPORT

Parents can nurture these qualities in their teens by supporting their pursuits, Sato said. (See sidebar.)

That applies to Chris' parents, who have always supported his aspirations, no matter how grandiose.

"He has wanted that (to be president of the United States) since he was so young. ... I think it's a great dream, and I hope he realizes it," said Chris' mother, Maria Ballesteros, 44.

"We always told him he could do whatever he wanted to do," added his father, Wesley Ballesteros, 46, a systems analyst.

Maria Ballesteros, who homeschooled her son until he entered Damien as a ninth-grader, emphasized academics as well as extracurricular activities to ensure he would be well-rounded. Growing up, Chris participated in choir, sports and dance programs outside of school.

"They never forced me into one particular activity, sport or aspect of academics," he said. "They just put all the opportunities, all the materials in front of me and let me choose ... which ones I naturally gravitated to."

Chris' parents supported his interests every way they could — from buying him a chart of the U.S. presidents when he was 3 years old, to patiently sitting through hours of his speech and debate competitions earlier this year.

"Simple things like that really do make a difference," Chris said.

Chris' parents felt downtime was just as essential in his upbringing.

"I've always thought he should have free time ... to play, dream and just go outside to do nothing," said his mother, a stay-at-home mom who's also homeschooling Chris' other siblings, Mariana, 6, and Gabriel, 4. "I think that's really important, to not be overscheduled."

HIGH ASPIRATIONS

Today, Chris' resume reads like one of a future national leader.

He is president of Damien's Pacific Asian Affairs Council, a staff member of the school newspaper and a varsity soccer team player.

In April, Chris captured three titles at the State Forensic Speech and Debate finals — U.S. extemporaneous speech, public forum debate and impromptu speaking. The last time there was a state triple champion was in 1990.

Chris graduates next year and is considering colleges such as the University of Hawai'i, Notre Dame, Yale, Harvard and Princeton. He plans to major in political science.

Chris credits his parents for his aspirations and successes.

"They always encouraged me, and they never told me that I couldn't do something, like something was above me or something was too complicated for me," Chris said.

Having a role model also helps. For Chris, that's U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, even though Chris doesn't agree with all of the former Hawai'i resident's political views.

"He is an example of what someone can make of themselves, regardless of where you're from," Chris said. ... "Hawai'i is so often forgotten on the political landscape, but people with ties to the Islands actually can make a difference on the national stage."

Leadership skills and ambition are qualities that also stem from a positive attitude, Chris added.

"As my mother always said, I can do anything I put my mind to," Chris said. "While I'm not going to go out and say that I can do anything, that is the attitude that I hold within myself."

On campus at Damien, Chris stepped out of his student government meeting to talk about his ambitions for a political future.

"Just looking at the state of the world today, the way our leaders handle the world, it's just a feeling of — not necessarily that I can do everything perfectly — but I can try to do something better," Chris said. "And I know it sounds like a terribly old cliche, but I can leave the world a better place than I found it."

Join our discussion: Helping your child become a leader.