Tamar Braxton, host of talk show “The Real,” is headed back to school after an inspirational meeting with First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.
Tamar and other hosts from “The Real”, sat down in the East Room of the White House with the US First Lady earlier this week. FLOTUS spoke of her own background with education and encouraged all kids to #ReachHigher and set their goals on continuing their education after high school.
Michelle Obama has started a campaign called #BetterMakeRoom, which is part of th overall Reach Higher initiative. Both programs aim to inspire every student in the US to take a hold of their future by completing their education past high school.
Helping students to reach higher #collegein5words#ReachHigherpic.twitter.com/Nisk9Ogd3B
— Reach Higher (@ReachHigher) May 6, 2015Mrs. Obama is only one of four US First Ladies to ever hold a graduate degree.
She has focused some of her immense passion on getting others to reach for the same educational opportunities she has had. She is stressing to young students that “education is the key to freedom.”
Reach Higher exposes students to college and career opportunities, helps students to understand financial aid eligibility, encourages academic planning and summer learning opportunities, and supports high school counselors who work on the front lines to get kids into college.
As she looked at the panel around her at the White House she highlighted that all of these women were so important because they represented so much of what students can do in life, but students must have a backup plan to fame and/or sports success.
At the panel she quoted one of her former professors, encouraging the 30 or so high school students in the room to, “Be open to taking some risk, and don’t be afraid to fail… Failure is the key to success.”
She even took a few jabs at President Obama, explaining Barack fooled around in highschool, "He was a bum!"
It took President Obama until he was in his second year of college to get his act together. But, hey... He seems to have come out pretty okay (and notably that second year at school was at the top tier Columbia University-so he couldn't have been TOO much of a bum in high school).
Access to education is vital in today's world, not only in the US but in every country. Michelle Obama spoke of how American students deserve to go to college, but she also speaks to the wider issue that all children should be able to attend school without barriers.
Equal access to education for students of all backgrounds, nationalities and geographies is crucial to accomplishing the Global Goals (it's #4 on the list) and ending extreme poverty by 2030.