Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement | The White House

Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement | The White House

Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement

Western Michigan University Arena
Kalamazoo, Michigan

7:42 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Please be seated. Hello, Giants. (Applause.) It is good -- it is good to be here, and congratulations Class of 2010. (Applause.) I am honored to be part of this special occasion.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!

THE PRESIDENT: And I love you back. (Applause.) Let me acknowledge your extraordinary governor, Jennifer Granholm. (Applause.) Superintendent Rice, thank you for your inspiring words. (Applause.) Your mayor, Bobby Hopewell, who I understand is a proud Kalamazoo graduate himself. (Applause.)

Thanks to Principal Washington for -- (applause) -- not just for the warm introduction, but for his enthusiasm and his energy and his leadership and his nice singing voice. (Laughter.) Thank you. To all the trustees, to the alumni, to the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins -- everybody who’s been a part of this extraordinary place. (Applause.)

And I want to recognize our student speakers. Cindy, who embodies the best of our traditions in this country -- arrived three or four years ago and graduates as the valedictorian -- this is what is continually replenishing the energy and the dynamism and the innovation of this country, and we could not be prouder of you. Thank you. (Applause.) And to Simon, I’m glad that, according to the Constitution, you can’t run till you’re 35. (Laughter and applause.) So I’ll be long gone by then. (Laughter.) But it gives me great confidence to know that we’ve got such incredible young leaders who are going to be remaking the world in so many different ways.

Now, recently, an article from your local paper, the Kalamazoo Gazette -- (applause) -- was brought to my attention. And it ran just after this school had been chosen as one of the six finalists in our Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. And for those who aren’t aware of it, this is a contest to highlight schools that