WELL.

THANK YOU.

>> Eric: THANKS A LOT.

THANKS FOR COMING DOWN.

>> CATHY: THE FINAL DAYS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FEATURE A NEW STATE FLAG ON DISPLAY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FLYING ATOP THE STATE CAPITOL.

NOW THAT IT'S OFFICIAL AND STILL CONTROVERSIAL, OUR MARY LAHAMMER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE YOUNG DESIGNER FROM RURAL MINNESOTA'S IMPROBABLE PATH TO THE WINNING DESIGN.

>> Mary: ANDREW, THE CREATOR OF THE FLAG BEHIND YOU, HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW THAT THIS IS OFFICIAL?

>> GETTING TO THE FINAL THREE, THE FINAL FLAG ITSELF WAS JUST HARD TO BELIEVE, AND I GOT TO SEE MY FLAG FLYING FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IT HASN'T FULLY BEEN EMBRACED YET.

BUT IT'S BEEN SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, I'M SO HONORED AND GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF IT.

>> Mary: WHAT WAS THAT EMOTION, IT'S FLYING OVER THE CAPITOL, ALL THE STATE OFFICIALS ARE THERE, YOU'RE DOING MEDIA, BIG PRESS CONFERENCES, HOW DID THAT ALL FEEL FINALLY HAPPENING?

>> IT WAS SO EXCITING.

I DID FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY USED TO A LOT OF ATTENTION IN MEDIA BUT, HONESTLY, IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE APPRECIATED FOR MY HARD WORK AND TO JUST KIND OF BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS HISTORIC MOMENT WAS SUPER SPECIAL FOR ME AND I HONESTLY REALLY ENJOYED IT.

>> Mary: TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU.

I MEAN, DO YOU DO DESIGN PROFESSIONALLY?

WAS THIS JUST A FUN THING ON THE SIDE?

TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> I SORT OF DABBLE IN GRAPHIC DESIGN A LITTLE BIT.

I DO SOME PART-TIME WORK WITH THAT.

BUT I'M NOT SUPER PROFESSIONAL WITH IT.

FLAG DESIGN WAS A NEW AREA FOR ME.

I NEVER HAD REALLY DABBLED IN IT BEFORE THIS.

BUT I SAW A REALLY AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN THE NEW FLAG AND, SO, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST JUMP INTO IT.

I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH.

>> Mary: WERE YOU SURPRISED, BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY SAW, YOU WERE UP AGAINST PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS, PEOPLE WHO KNEW THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

I MEAN, YOU KIND OF HAD TO BE THE LONG SHOT, RIGHT?

>> OH, FOR SURE.

I REMEMBER GOING ON O THE STATE EMBLEMS REDESIGN COMMISSION WEBSITE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SEEING ALL OF THE FLAG SUBMISSIONS.

AND THERE WAS, I THINK, OVER 2,100 OF THEM.

I RECOGNIZED SOME THAT PEOPLE HAVE LOVED FOR DECADES.

SO THERE'S LOTS OF PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS AND FLAGS THAT HAVE ALREADY KIND OF BEEN ESTABLISHED.

SO I WAS DEFINITELY INTIMIDATED.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK IT'S CHANGED YOUR LIFE, LIKE YOUR TRAJECTORY, WHAT YOU MIGHT DO PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY NOW?

>> I DO THINK IT HAS CHANGED.

I ALWAYS DOUBT MYSELF, LIMIT MYSELF, AND I THINK DOING THIS OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY GETTING THIS FAR, HAVING THIS AMAZING THING HAPPEN IS REALLY KIND OF MADE ME REALIZE I CAN DO WHATEVER I WOULD LIKE TO DO.

I THINK IT'S OPENED UP THE WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT I CAN DO WITH MY FUTURE.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BAD PART, THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE THE DESIGN.

THE PEOPLE WHO PROTESTED AGAINST IT.

YOU KNOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO WERE REFUSING TO ADOPT IT.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ALL THAT?

>> GOING INTO IT, I KIND OF EXPECTED THERE TO BE SOME CONTROVERSY.

YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THERE'S CHANGE, PROGRESSIVE CHANGE, THERE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO TEND TO DISLIKE IT OR THEY'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT, OR THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S HAPPENING.

YOU KNOW, ITCHING THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE -- I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, OUR ORIGINAL FLAG HAD DEPICTED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BEING DRIVEN OFF OF THEIR LAND.

SO TO ME, IT WAS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS A FLAG THAT'S JUST NOT APPRECIATED, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER SAW IT ON BUMPER STICKERS OR FRONT LAWNS OR T-SHIRTS.

IT'S NOT LIKE THE TEXAS FLAG OR ANYTHING ELSE.

AND, SO, BESIDES IT JUST BEING INEFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF BEING A FLAG, IT WAS PROBLEMATIC.

SO, TO ME, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THIS CHANGE TO HAPPEN TO BE INCLUSIVE TO ALL PEOPLE IN MINNESOTA, ESPECIALLY OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE IT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS.

I JUST KIND OF LET IT ROLL OFF MY BACK.

>> Mary: IS THERE POLITICS IN THE FLAG?

DID YOU INTEND FOR IT TO BE A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRATIC FLAG?

>> NOT AT ALL.

NO, NO, NO, NO.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ENTERED OUR FLAG DESIGNS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE RULES WAS IT CANNOT REPRESENT A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY.

AND, SO, I VERY SPECIFICALLY CREATED IT TO BE INCLUSIVE TO EVERY SINGLE MINNESOTAN, IRREGARDLESS OF ETHNICITY, OF POLITICAL BACKGROUND.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT EVERYBODY.

AND IT DOES REPRESENT EVERYBODY.

>> Mary: YOU'RE ALWAYS REFERENCED AS THE 4-YEAR-OLD FROM LUVERNE.

[ Laughter ] WHAT DOES EVERYBODY AROUND YOU THINK?

>> FORTUNATELY, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE BEEN SUPER SUPPORTIVE.

I THINK THEY'RE ALL EXCITED FOR ME, REALLY EXCITED FOR MINNESOTA.

IT'S SUCH A RARE OPPORTUNITY THAT ONE PERSON CAN MAKE SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN OUR STATE.

AND I THINK THEY'RE ALL REALLY