Michelle Obama voor HO
In een speech op de Bell Multicultural High School vlak bij het Witte Huis trad zij daarom op met onderwijsminister Arne Duncan, om dit thema extra te profileren. Waarnemers verwachten dat de First Lady dit verder gaat uitbouwen als nieuw aspect van haar rol in detweede termijn van de president.
Het succes van de doelstelling om in 2020 in de USA het hoogste aandeel doorstromers naar het hoger onderwijs te bereiken, stond daarin centraal. Maar Michelle Obama wees er op, dat beleidsdoelen altijd bestaan uit prestaties en dromen van burgers.
Unwavering belief in education
“No matter what the president does, no matter what your teachers and principals do, or whatever is going on in your home or neighborhood, the person with the biggest impact on your education is you. It’s going to take young people like all of you across the country stepping up and taking control of your education.”
“My parents didn’t have much money, and they never went to college themselves, but they had an unwavering belief in the power of education, and they always pushed me and my brother to do whatever it took to succeed in school.”
“I knew that the first thing I needed to do was to have the strongest academic record possible, so I worked hard to get the best grades that I possibly could in all my classes. I got involved in leadership opportunities in school, where I developed close relationships with teachers and administrators.”
Too high?
“I knew I needed to present very solid and thoughtful college applications. So I stayed up late at night working on my college essays and personal statements. I knew my parents would not be able to pay for all of my tuition, so I made sure I applied for financial aid on time. And when I encountered doubters, when people told me that I wasn’t going to cut it, I didn’t let that stop me.”
“Some of my teachers straight up told me that I was setting my sights too high. They told me I was never going to get into a school like Princeton. It was clear to me that nobody was going to take my hand and lead me to where I needed to go; instead it was going to be up to me to reach my goals.”
