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Obama stresses perseverance in high school commencement address
By: cnn.comPosted On: 06/08/2010 12:13 P
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Unlike college, high school commencement addresses aren't usually known to draw celebrity speakers. But for a group of Michigan high school seniors, their Monday night graduation was one they won't likely forget.
Unlike college, high school commencement addresses aren't usually known to draw celebrity speakers. But for a group of Michigan high school seniors, their Monday night graduation was one they won't likely forget.
"I'm here tonight because I think that America has a lot to learn from Kalamazoo Central about what makes for a successful school in this new century," the president of the United States told a packed crowd at Western Michigan University, where the ceremony was moved to accommodate the attendees.
"Educators raising standards and inspiring their students to meet them," President Obama said. "Community members stepping up as tutors and mentors and coaches. Parents taking an active interest in their kids' education -- attending those teacher conferences, turning off that TV, and making sure that homework gets done."
The school earned the presidential visit after winning the administration's first annual "Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge."
"I'm here tonight because after three rounds of competition, with more than 1,000 schools, and more than 170,000 votes cast, I know -- and America now knows -- what you've done at Kalamazoo Central," Obama said.
"Together as a community, you've embraced the motto of this school district: 'Every child, every opportunity, every time,' because you believe, like I do, that every child -- regardless of what they look like, where they come from, or how much money their parents have -- every child who walks through your schoolhouse doors deserves a quality education."
True to many commencement addresses -- especially for high school -- Obama asked the graduates what they intended to do to live up to the responsibility laid on their shoulders after graduation and offered advice for their future.
"First, understand that your success in life won't be determined just by what's given to you, or what happens to you, but by what you do with all of that -- by how hard you try; how far you push yourself; how high you're willing to reach," he said. "Because true excellence comes only through perseverance."
The president told the grads that he didn't understand that idea "back when I was your age."
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