Community College Month

Happy Community College Month! 🎓

I want to celebrate every student who is continuing their education at a community college this year.

I hope you’re proud of the commitment you’re making to yourself, your family, and your future—because I certainly am. #ReachHigher pic.twitter.com/1frjHHHzDz

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 12, 2023

Failing Our Children

We are failing our children. Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.

Michelle and I mourn with the students and families of the Covenant School today. pic.twitter.com/8X9qKKzB9d

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 27, 2023

Working On Womanhood

It was such an honor to have been a part of yesterday’s WOW Circle—a Working on Womanhood program at Hyde Park Academy that creates space for young women to reflect on how to own their narrative in a world that isn’t always set up to empower them.
 
I’m so proud of you all! pic.twitter.com/4o8XU9LUzB

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) October 18, 2022

I’m so happy to be back home in Chicago—and even happier to have spent the afternoon on the South Side with students at Hyde Park Academy! pic.twitter.com/qcd7DiYEij

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) October 18, 2022

Michelle Obama Award For Memoir

I'm thrilled to share that @PenguinRandom and @DiverseBooks are launching the Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, a new creative writing award focused on memoir for public high school students.

Apply today and learn more about the $10,000 scholarship: https://t.co/ZEi8SGe6M5 pic.twitter.com/p7B4fkAvyx

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) October 12, 2022

The Voyager Scholarship

Michelle and I are proud to join @BChesky in announcing the first recipients of The Voyager Scholarship, which supports 100 rising college juniors as they pursue a career in public service.

I can’t wait to see what these young people accomplish! pic.twitter.com/wH3oHbiITx

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 13, 2022

The Breakfast Club

I heard about the work that Coach Amaker and the young people at Harvard are doing to build community, so I decided to drop by one of their meetings. Thanks for letting me be an honorary member of The Breakfast Club! https://t.co/EQ6R9nHbz2

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 12, 2022

More than humbled and honored to have @BarackObama as this month’s guest at the first meeting of The Breakfast Club.

We are so grateful and appreciative of your time, thoughts, and service.

Thank you, Mr. President. pic.twitter.com/sWk3ESjNQt

— Harvard Men’s Basketball (@HarvardMBB) September 9, 2022

Surviving In America

The people who need student loan forgiveness are not lazy. You actually can’t be lazy and survive in this country. Trust me I was scarily poor. You can only be lazy if you’re rich. That’s a rich people privilege.

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

“They don’t wanna work!” I mean I don’t know if we were put on this planet to work BUT REGARDLESS whether folks want to or not, they HAVE to. Lower and middle class is a constant fight to not lose access to basic needs. One hospital visit can ruin your financial life.

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

Poor people are the farthest things from lazy. It’s very telling that the hardest workers (service workers, janitorial workers keeping our buildings and cities livable, teachers etc etc) are the lowest paid jobs. Unlivable wages. Which is why they need multiple jobs

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

Now there’s folks born into privilege and those who worked up to being wealthy (although this we could debate forever and also racially who has an easier time moving up out of poverty as they don’t face racial discriminatory obstacles in the financial world). BUT 👇🏽

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

Those in the second group who say “I didn’t have anything handed to me!” Which again, debatable if you are more likely to have white alumni/resources/banks/employers willing to take a chance on you BUT, well the thing about the second group, which I find myself moving into, is 👇🏽

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

You should remember how disgustingly difficult it was to survive when you were poor. How scarily hard it was to pull yourself out of a pit you thought you’d likely die in. I know what it feels like to need a miracle. I would never wish the fear and trauma I suffered, on anyone

— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 24, 2022

Because clearly it still needs to be said: Student loan forgiveness is not about irresponsible people taking out education loans and then not paying. These are compounding interest loans: borrowers are struggling because they pay many times OVER what they borrowed and still owe!

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) August 25, 2022

Before I finally paid my student loans off TWO YWARS AGO at the age of 44, I had repaid my balance again and again. But the interest meant most of my payments didn't go to the loan debt but the interest and that interest kept accruing daily over 25 years.

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) August 25, 2022

Also, government literally exists to further the common good and to help its citizens. Non-homeowners subsidize homeowners, non-business owners subsidize business owners, people w/o schoolchildren subsidize schools. Why is it politically expedient to think so little of each other

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) August 25, 2022

Futures Series

Michelle and I started the @ObamaFoundation's Futures Series to connect the young leaders of tomorrow with the trailblazers of today. It’s great to see the impact that it’s already having on students from the South Side. https://t.co/0Ga97LzU09

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 22, 2022

We have a responsibility to the young people of the neighborhood. That's why we launched our Futures Series at Hyde Park Academy, the high school that neighbors the future Obama Presidential Center, to expose students to careers they may not have been envisioning for themselves. pic.twitter.com/fyLYITWG7r

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) June 22, 2022

Bright Students

There’s nothing I love more than meeting with young people. Today, I had the chance to talk with some of the bright high school students from DC with @ReachHigher who shared their stories and plans for the future. I’m so proud of them and can't wait to follow their journeys. pic.twitter.com/IfG65DrJ5x

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 19, 2022

President Obama At Stanford

I was at @Stanford with the @ObamaFoundation to talk about the rise of disinformation around the world and the threat it poses to democracy. We all have a role to play here, so let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/IO6oi5CdQs

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 22, 2022