First Lady Michelle Obama had a few wise words to offer an audience of teenage girls Tuesday (September 29) at Harlem’s Apollo Theater.
“There is no boy at this age that is cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education,” she said.
Obama has been urging young girls to take their education seriously, in hopes to reduce the 62 million girls worldwide who aren’t granted access to education. The “Let Girls Learn” campaign will promote initiatives to combat issues that keep girls out of the classroom, including teenage pregnancy, early marriage, working to help support the family, and cultures who believe girls don’t need an education.
“For me, this is personal. When I think about those 62 million girls that aren’t in school, I think about myself. I think about my daughters,” Obama said.
Obama sat on a panel, hosted by Glamour magazine, alongside Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and 16-year-old education activist Nurfahada to discuss the direct link between ending global poverty and granting young girls an education.
But Obama wasn’t just there to push her new political passion project. The First Lady also leveled with the young girls, advising them there will come a day when they won’t have to listen to mom and dad.
“You’ll have opportunity, and you’ll have control of your life to make choices. And you won’t have to listen to your parents, because you’ll have a job and you’ll pay your own bills. You want that freedom. Freedom comes later,” she said.
Obama also made sure to tell the audience to not sweat the small stuff.
“If I had worried about who liked me and who thought I was cute when I was your age, I wouldn’t be married to the President of the United States,” she said.
I know that’s right, Michelle.