Maybe it was the cool, retro-style fighter pilot jacket he wore.

Maybe it was the press credentials hanging around his neck.

Maybe it was his constantly snapping camera, the wise-beyond-his-years scowl, or his preternatural composure.

Whatever it was, Chandler Schaak, 12, who was not at all nervous to interview Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton - or any other celebrity for that matter - looked every bit the newsman at Monday's Youth Rally at Taco Bell Arena.

Schaak normally attends Liberty Elementary School in Boise. But not this week. He has a job to do.

Schaak is one of only 12 kids across the U.S. who won coveted reporting spots for Time for Kids, a weekly classroom publication from Time magazine.

"With 4 million subscribers," said Schaak, ensconced at the press table at the Youth Rally, snapping pictures of the crowd.

Getting the job was no easy feat.

Some 500 students, including Schaak, wrote essays.

He wrote his own about having dyslexia.

"There are pros and cons with dyslexia," Schaak said. "The con is, if I have to read a book, I need extra time."

The "pro" is pretty big. Schaak said the world around him appears extra 3D and filled with color.

The people at Time culled the 500 student essays to 20, then to 12.

This week, Schaak has covered ceremonies and events, including floor hockey. His favorite part of the Games, though, has been hearing the Special Olympics oath, the one about being brave and doing your best, even if you don't take first place.

"The words are powerful," Schaak said.

He gets to keep his reporting job for a year. He doesn't know if he wants to be a reporter when he grows up.

"I get asked that a lot," he said. "It looks pretty good. But there's always something down the road."

Schaak regularly speaks at International Dyslexia Association functions. His teacher has nominated him to participate in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.

This means Schaak may have the chance to report from our nation's capital.

Watch for his byline.

Anna Webb: 377-6431