A Bedford High School graduate met President Obama and traveled to China last month after being recognized as one of the nation’s top high school scholars.

Harrison Potter, a recent Bedford High School graduate with a 4.07 grade-point average, was one of just 141 students from across the country chosen to be a Presidential Scholar. The annual honor was good for a trip to the White House and a meeting with President Obama.

“It was kind of a way to get the best and the brightest in the United States together,” Potter said. Potter, whose SAT scores, transcripts and outside achievements earned him the trip to Washington, said meeting Obama was one of the highlights of his visit. Potter said he passed through four security checkpoints to get into the White House, which met his high expectations.

“The White House is absolutely beautiful and exactly how pictures show it, and there was just a kind of presence when the president walks in the room,” said Potter, who listened to Obama give a short speech praising the scholars’ accomplishments. Later, Potter shook Obama’s hand.

“It’s very powerful, and we weren’t with him for very long, but you could tell that moment was special,” Potter said. “He’s the most powerful man in the world.”

Potter, who will attend Tufts University this fall, was joined by two fellow New Hampshire students chosen to be Presidential Scholars. For three days, Potter and his fellow honorees enjoyed a whirlwind tour of Washington, with trips to museums, dinners and special concerts.

But when most of the Presidential Scholars were getting ready to go home, Potter turned in an entirely different direction. Potter was one of only 12 Presidential Scholars selected to travel to China as part of a two-week educational exchange program.

Three days after meeting Obama, Potter hopped on a plane to Beijing, where he stayed with a host family and participated in cultural activities with Chinese students.

After visits to the Great Wall and several major cities, Potter said he was struck by the sheer size of China, which he said is covered with scaffolding, cranes and other signs of development.

“It’s a huge country with so many people, and its size is impossible to discern unless you’re actually there,” Potter said.

Potter, who plans to study international relations at Tufts, was also impressed by the kindness of the Chinese people, who he said are misunderstood by most Americans.

“A lot of people in the United States, you talk to them about China and they look at China as this country back in the Stone Age with way too many people,” Potter said. “America often looks upon China negatively, whereas the Chinese love America.”

Potter, who plans to study abroad in China during his junior year, said his interest in international relations – and learning in general – was sparked by his teachers at Bedford High School. Potter was allowed to nominate one of his teachers for a Presidential Scholars’ Teacher Recognition Award and chose history teacher Lori Dumaine.

“School taught me to be critical and open-minded and really changed how I think,” Potter said. “I think that all the teachers at the high school really showed me what it is to be someone knowledgeable and critical of life.”