President to students: No Excuse for not trying
President Obama to America’s Students: No Excuse for Not Trying
President drew on own experiences to encourage students to be proactive in their education
ARLINGTON, Va. — As schools across the country embark on a new school year, President Barack Obama took time to stress the importance of education and encourage the nation’s student body to take responsibility for theirs.
“We can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world -- and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities,” said the President, speaking to students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. and those watching the speech on television and the internet.
“Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.”
The President also spoke of his own struggles with education. He told students that despite his mother stressing the importance of education on him, he wasn’t always focused on learning. Instead, he was concerned about what he couldn’t afford and felt lonely due to the absence of his father. As a result, he “did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have.”
But, he added that he did not let those circumstances dictate his future, and neither should students.
“At the end of the day, the circumstances of your life -- what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home --… That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future,” he said.
In closing, the President charged students with setting a goal for their education this year and sticking with it.
“You've got to do your part…So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you.”
Click here to watch President Obama’s Back-to-School Event, courtesy of C-SPAN
Click here for the complete transcript of President Obama’s Back-to-School Event, courtesy of The White House.
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