48 Hours

Class of 2000: Great Expectations (13x37)

Air date: Jun 22, 2000

Four years ago, in cities and towns across America, millions of teen-agers entered the ninth grade. At the same time, CBS News began an in-depth examination of this group, the Class of 2000. The goal: To present a portrait of our country's problems and promise as seen through the eyes of these students. CBS News' 48 Hours completes this four-year project with a look at several remarkable young men and women. As part of this project, CBS News and Simon & Schuster also has co-published an eBook based on the entire four-year project. The eBook, The Class of 2000: A Definitive Survey of the New Generation, is now available in conjunction with the June 22 broadcast. Among the people you'll meet in Thursday's broadcast: From Prisoner To Counselor: For four years, Correspondent Richard Schlesinger has been following the story of Chris Robertson, who has been in jail nine times, mostly on drug-related charges. Find out how Robertson found a way to overcome his problems. A Down-To-Earth Teen Star: Only 18, Lila McCann is already a country music star. But she also wanted to be a regular high school student. She even sang in the choir. Peter Van Sant profiles this unusual young woman. A Very Loyal Friend: Two teens, Kay Poe and her best friend Esther Kim, both wanted to be on the U.S. tae kwon do team. Then, Kay was injured, and had to face her friend in the finals. Bernie Goldberg reports on how Kim resolved the tension between competition and friendship. For more on this story, click on the interactive above and to the right. Once A Gang Member, Now A Mom: Four years ago, Melissa Orona was a committed gang member. Peter Van Sant finds out what has happened to Melissa since then. Graduation Day In Moses Lake: In 1996, a school shooter killed three students at Frontier Middle School. Susan Spencer reports on several members of a community that has had to heal itself.