In a recently penned piece for Education Week, Michelle Obama shares the story of her own college experience to encourage students to continue their education beyond high school and in an effort to promote her latest Reach Higher campaign.
“My message to these young people is that while all of us adults–teac
hers, administrators, and policymakers–have to do a better job of giving them the best schools and opportunities for their future, at the end of the day, they also need to step up and take responsibility for their education themselves,” says the first lady on the need for young people to take the future of their education into their own hands.Last month, she launched her Reach Higher Initiative in an effort to convey to students that college is cool. Using social media and the hashtag #ReachHigher to promote its efforts, FLOTUS asked for college graduates to post pictures of themselves wearing their college T-shirts. Her latest initiative is a push to get the country rallied around the president’s “North Star” goal, which aims to have America with the largest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2020.
“That means going to class every day, setting their goals high, and working like crazy to achieve them. That’s been the story of my life and my husband’s life, so when I talk to these young people, my hope is that they see
that our story can be their story, too–as long as they’re willing to dedicate themselves to their education,” says FLOTUS on the commitment that’s required from young people to excel academically.To read her full commentary on the importance of completing a college education, head to edweek.org.