Seventeen-year-old Joshua Penny wants to tell Barack Obama about his fears of receiving a worthless high school diploma.

The Jonesboro High School student is convinced that if the presidential candidate hears about Clayton County schools chances of losing accreditation, he might be able to help.

Sara Hopkins/Special (ENLARGE)

Joshua Penny (center) a junior at Jonesboro High School, led about two dozen Clayton County high school students who are forming the 'Fight for your future' club. He wants to see if Barack Obama can help Clayton accreditation problems.

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In August, Penny may get his chance.

Penny is one of 250 high school students from across the country who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"I was very excited when I found out I got accepted. And then when Barack got enough delegates, I was over the top," Penny said.

"He's very adamant about fixing the education situation in America. I think all he would have to do is mention Clayton schools in one speech and the school board would be like, 'Wow, we're in trouble now.' "

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has given the 52,800-student district until Sept. 1 to meet nine mandates or lose accreditation.

Penny and the other students, including Campbell High School rising sophomore Troy Cooley of Smyrna, will spend five days in Denver. They will attend seminars with politicians, campaign managers, party leaders, political pundits and journalists. They will be on the convention floor for votes, key speeches and Obama's acceptance speech.

Penny hopes to have the chance to meet Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

"I would ask him when he first realized he could make a difference by running for president," Penny said. "And of our course, I would tell him about our schools."

The program, sponsored by the Junior Statesmen Foundation, selects students based on academics, along with their interests in political science and the democratic process, said foundation spokeswoman Carly Baleix.

Penny, who is ranked third in his class, had to submit his high school transcripts and an essay.

"I wrote about accreditation. It's my life," Penny said.

In February, Penny formed the Clayton Student Coalition with several friends. The coalition has demanded school board resignations, marched and held a candidates' forum.

To Penny, it's all experience for his 2032 campaign. That's when the rising high school senior plans to run for president.

"I have no excuse about running for president now," Penny said. "Barack broke the barrier."

But first, Penny hopes to study international relations and African studies at Georgetown, Stanford or Brown universities. He wants to be a diplomat and run for Congress.

On Monday, Penny found out he was accepted to the Statesmen program.

Two days later, he and his twin brother, Kaleb, registered for fall classes at Griffin Christian High School. If Clayton looks like it can salvage accreditation before the start of school, the boys will return to Jonesboro.

"The superintendent said we'll have everything done by July 15," Penny said. "I know if this doesn't work out, I have to have a back-up plan."

Richard and Monika Penny said they really can't afford to spend more than $10,000 to send their twins to private school, but they might not have any other option.

"It's money that should go to college," Richard Penny said. "But the schools Joshua is looking at will put his application in a pile on the floor in the other room near the trash if he doesn't have an accredited diploma."

That's why the Pennys could not afford to spend $2,250 to send Joshua to Denver. David Reed, a Gwinnett County resident and former chairman of the independent Harold Washington political party in Chicago, is financing the trip. Reed said he met Penny at a Clayton County Democratic Party meeting and was impressed.

Penny leaves Aug. 24. He will miss his first week of school, but his parents said the education he will receive in Denver is something that can't be learned in a classroom.

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime," Richard Penny said. "It's history-making."

And who knows, maybe the trip will help spawn something bigger, Richard Penny said.

The father told his son about a photograph of Bill Clinton's first visit to the White House. It was 1963. Clinton was 16 and met President John F. Kennedy through a youth leadership program.

"When Clinton became president, they got that picture of him as a boy with the president," Richard Penny said. "This could be the same thing for Joshua. This could be a sign."