It’s time to go to school: The first lady brings her message to Detroit

The first lady Michelle Obama, came into town on Friday and spoke to more than 2,000 Detroit students about the beauty of an education at the city’s first college signing day.
“I want this to be bigger than the Super Bowl, bigger than the World Series, bigger than the playoffs,” Obama said.
The First Lady was here to endorse her “Reach Higher” initiative. The initiative brought students from all over the city – more than 40 Detroit high schools were represented as she gave a spirited speech to standing room only crowd. Dressed in a Princeton University jersey, Obama said that academic achievement should be recognized with the same reverence as athletics throughout the country.
“I want this to be bigger than the Super Bowl, bigger than the World Series, bigger than the playoffs,” she said.
Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, was the city’s first-ever citywide College Signing Day, hosted by the Detroit College Access Network at Wayne State University.
She reiterated the importance of pursuing an education, however, she told students that it was not only important that they got into college, but that they finished – answering President Barack Obama’s call for America to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
She told the students that she and the President enjoy sports signing days just as much as anybody and the excitement that goes with it, however, she said it’s more important to “put higher education front and center in this country.”
“Getting into college is not the ultimate goal,” Obama said. “The ultimate goal is to graduate and get that degree.”
Students also heard from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Dr. James T. Minor, Detroit Deputy Mayor Isaiah McKinnon, Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson, University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, and Grammy Award-winning singer Ciara.
This was the second year the first lady has celebrated College Signing Day; last year she attended a similar event in San Antonio, TX.
Zack Burgess is an award winning journalist. He is the Director/Owner of OFF WOODWARD MEDIA, LLC, where he works as a writer, editor and communications specialist. His work can be seen at zackburgess.com. Twitter: @zackburgess1