Michelle Obama Tells Graduates to Keep Trying, No Matter What
The commencement speaker at my school’s graduation this year was U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. He delivered a very entertaining and thought-provoking speech, but when I heard that Michelle Obama delivered the commencement speech at Spelman College, I could not help but feel a little bit jealous.
On May 14, 2011, Michelle delivered the commencement speech at the traditionally black women’s college in Atlanta, Georgia. In her speech, Michelle discussed important historical events in the school’s past and mentioned many famous almuni members, such as LaTanya Richardson, Eva Rutland, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Alberta Williams King. In her speech, Michelle warned the graduating seniors that their education is not something they should take for granted nor is it a “gift with which you can do whatever you please. [Instead,] it is a commitment that comes with a certain set of obligations, obligations that don’t end when you march through that arch today.”
In my opinion, one of the most inspiring parts of Michelle’s speech was when she told the graduates how to respond to those who tried to hold them back from their dreams.
