03/09/2016
Thank you for being an inspiration to us all to excel.
"When I was a girl, I had parents who loved me and believed in me, but those doubts still worked their way inside my head and my heart, and I was always worried about something. Does my hair look right? Am I too tall? Do I raise my hand too much in class? So when folks said that a girl like me shouldn’t aspire to go to the very best colleges in this country I thought, 'Maybe they’re right.' But eventually I learned that each of those doubts were like a little test, a challenge, that either I could shrink away from or rise up to meet and I decided to rise.
Yes, I decided to rewrite those tired old scripts that define too many of us. I decided that I wasn’t bossy — I was confident and strong. I wasn’t loud — I was a young woman with something important to say and when I looked into the mirror I saw a tall, and smart and beautiful black girl. And that more than anything else is what I want for you, I want you to live life on your own terms... but anyone who’s achieved anything in life knows that challenges and failures are necessary components of success.They know that when things get hard, that’s not always a sign that you’re doing something wrong, it's often a sign that you’re doing something right. Those hard times are what shape you into the person you’re meant to be."- First Lady Michelle Obama
