Mrs. Obama: Hi, my name
is Michelle Obama,
and I'm first.
Neither of my parents
graduated from college,
so when I got to campus as a
Freshman,
I'll admit I was a little overwhelmed.
I didn't know how to
choose my classes,
or find the right classrooms.
I didn't know how to
furnish me own dorm room.
In fact, when I moved in,
I realized that I hadn't
even packed the right size
sheets for my bed,
mine were way too short, so
that first night,
I slept with my legs sticking
out past the end of the
sheets, rubbing up against
one of those old plastic
mattresses, and I ended up
sleeping that
way for my entire Freshman year.
But here's the thing.
I may not have had the
right sheets,
but I learned pretty quickly
that I had what it took
to succeed in college.
Sure, there were moments
when I had doubts.
At first, I even worried
that maybe
I just wasn't as smart as some
of my classmates,
but soon enough, I realized that
was all in my head.
I was just as smart as
everyone else,
and I had just as much
to contribute.
I just had to have the
confidence
to believe in myself, and the
determination to work
hard, and ask for
help when I needed it.
So that's my message
to all of you.
No matter where you come
from, or how much money
your family has, I want to
know that
you can succeed in college, and
get your degree, and then
go on to build an incredible
life for yourself.
That's been my life story,
and my husband's as well,
and if you're willing to
put in the time
and the effort, I want you to know
that it can be your story too.
So I want to wish you the
best of luck
in the years ahead.
I know you can do it
