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Michelle Obama speech: First Lady delivers emotional farewell message with tears in her eyes | Michelle Obama speech: First Lady delivers emotional farewell message with tears in her eyes |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Michelle Obama has delivered her final remarks as First Lady – making an emotional defence of the nation’s diversity and telling her young audience “the country belongs to you”. | |
Speaking at the White House during an event to honour school counsellors, she said she hoped she had made people proud. | |
The outgoing First Lady hosted 50 school counsellors as part of her Reach Higher Initiative, which has championed advisors across the country and encouraged students to pursue post-secondary education whether at a professional training programme, a community college or university. | The outgoing First Lady hosted 50 school counsellors as part of her Reach Higher Initiative, which has championed advisors across the country and encouraged students to pursue post-secondary education whether at a professional training programme, a community college or university. |
This year’s winner, Terri Tchorzynski, from the Calhoun Area Career Centre in Battle Creek, Michigan, introduced Ms Obama as the “First-Counsellor-in-Chief” and praised her work in education. | |
After thanking the counsellors for their work, Ms Obama spoke directly to young people saying: “Know this country belongs to you.” | After thanking the counsellors for their work, Ms Obama spoke directly to young people saying: “Know this country belongs to you.” |
In a sometimes emotional speech, she added: “Our glorious diversity…is not a threat to who we are. It makes us who we are”. She ended tearfully, saying thank you, and hoping she “made you proud”. | |
The winners were selected by the American School Counsellor Association. Prior to being joined by the First Lady in the East Room, the school counsellors and several other guests attended a panel featuring Education Secretary John King Jr, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Friday Night Lights actress Connie Britton. | |
School Counsellor of the Year is an annual White House tradition started in 2015 by Ms Obama. | |
This will not be Ms Obama’s final public appearance however. She is scheduled to be a guest on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon next Wednesday. |
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