'Twilight's' Kellan Lutz gets giddy over education

'Twilight's' Kellan Lutz gets giddy over education

Forget Team Edward: When "Twilight" vampire Kellan Lutz visited Washington, he was on Team Education.

The actor, who plays Emmett Cullen in the series, gave an overly enthusiastic talk on the National Mall on Tuesday to inspire kids to stay in school and to honor communities that are achieving just that. He used his own high school experience growing up in Scottsdale, Ariz., to make his point.

"I tried really hard in high school because my classes were free, it was a good education, and I had a ton of brothers to pick on me, so it was good to be out of the house and doing something productive," he said, to an occasional scream from a "Twilight" fan.

Lutz talked about his passion for math and chemistry and explained to the audience that he wanted to be a chemical engineer before he stumbled into acting. He also wasn't afraid to sound like a nerd.

"I loved everything in high school," Lutz told Yeas & Nays. "I just had a passion for learning and I loved sports, I played football and I did marching band, [I played the] trombone, and I really loved all the opportunities in high school."

While he wouldn't tell us what clique he was in, he admitted he didn't always focus on his studies.

"I still had fun in high school, I still made mistakes and went to parties and had a blast," he said.

He also complimented his "Twilight" cast for being involved in an array of issues -- everything from the environment to Africa.

"What I love about my cast is they all have their own kind of charity that is near and dear to their heart, I love kids and animals," he said. "Everyone is giving back, you know, because we have been so blessed."

Lutz appeared alongside Alma Powell, wife of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and a handful of members of Congress to announce ING's list of 100 Best Communities for Young People, a distinction given to municipalities that work hard to keep students in school.