oxford, wednesday

First Lady Michelle Obama listens to students from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School during a visit to Christ Church College at Oxford University

BBC: US First Lady Michelle Obama has been reunited with a group of British schoolgirls she met during a previous visit to the UK … Mrs Obama made a speech at Oxford University and took questions from the children. She paid an emotional visit to their school in Islington, London, in 2009.

…..the First Lady told the schoolchildren she was “thrilled to be back” in the UK and spoke of her own experience of making it from a poor background to a top university.

…. She had received a rapturous round of applause as she arrived at the university’s Christ Church college. She greeted the pupils from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (EGA) secondary school as she entered the college’s dining room, where the girls sat at two long tables to listen to Mrs Obama’s remarks.

…The 37 girls were picked for today’s event because they were interested in science but not reaching their full potential. Their meeting with the US president’s wife came after a day of activities for the pupils, including campus tours, career discussions and mentoring sessions. The trip – arranged at Mrs Obama’s suggestion – was designed to encourage the girls to think about studying for a degree. Since visiting EGA in 2009, Mrs Obama has kept in touch with the school, writing letters and encouraging the girls in their studies.

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