WASHINGTON — A high school sophomore in Washington state landed a 45-minute interview with Defense Secretary James Mattis after noticing a document in a newspaper photo that had his phone number.

“The only thing more bizarre than getting the private cell number of United States Defense Secretary James Mattis through a leak is having him call you back,” said the article published in the Mercer Island High School newspaper, The Islander.

High schooler Teddy Fischer got the Pentagon chief’s cell number when the Washington Post published a photo along with a May 11 article that showed Trump’s security guard, Keith Schiller, carrying a stack of papers with a sticky note that had Mattis’ name and a phone number.

Fischer, an enterprising young journalist with an interest in foreign policy, jotted down the number. The photo eventually was removed from the article.

“This whole thing is just a miracle after miracle,” Fischer told Washington NBC affiliate, King 5.

“I called it to see if it was him because I was curious and it was his voice,” the Mercer Island teen said.

Instead of leaving a voice message, Fischer texted the Pentagon chief and asked him for his help for an upcoming article on US foreign policy.

“Is it possible for you to conduct an interview? By the way your personal number was leaked to the American public, have a wonderful day!” the text read.

Mattis, a Washington native, said Mercer’s message stood out as a young person from his home state.

“I just thought I’d give you a call,” Mattis said, according to the interview transcript.

“I’ve always tried to help students because I think we owe it to you young folks to pass on what we learned going down the road so that you can make your own mistakes, not the same ones we made.”

The resulting interview was a thoughtful conversation on a range of topics on foreign policy, national politics and advice for graduating seniors: Study history and get involved.

“If you can help the larger community in the world, you won’t be lying on a psychiatrist’s couch when you’re 45 years old wondering what you did with your life,” Mattis said.

Mattis said President Obama would have been better served if he had listened to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

He also said fighting radical ideology abroad could be helped if the US just paid for a boy and girl in every single high school in Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere to study for a year in the US.

“I bet we could do that,” Mattis said, noting US families are generous and would sponsor foreign teens.

“I think ideologies can be countered by showing people a better education and hope for the future by learning how to get along with one another.”

Mattis said he’s counting on young people to improve the political rhetoric by not categorizing opponents as dumb, crazy or evil.