Obama wants US to be back on top in education: Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON: Acknowledging that education is what "really drive me" and "drives my husband", the First Lady has said that President Barack Obama has set a goal that by year 2020, the US should be back on top in the field.

"That's really what drives me, and that is truly what drives my husband, your President. That's why he has set a goal that by the year 2020, our country would once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. He wants to get us back on top," Michelle Obama said.

And as part of that effort, Obama is hosting a White House summit of university presidents from all across the country today.

"We will be challenging them to recruit and support even more underserved young students at their schools," Michelle said.

The First Lady said this during a discussion with education stakeholders at the White House.

"When all of you are out there working to inspire and educate these kids, you're not just building a better future for them and for their families, you're actually building a better future for our country. That's the work that you do. You may not get credit for it, but that's what you're doing," Michelle said.

Michelle said she would be making special efforts in this regard.

"It's all in there, but they still have to be committed to getting their educations.

I'm going to be making a special effort, obviously, to reach kids like Mister and Pete, who face such overwhelming obstacles in their lives," she said.

"And as you all know, too often these kids view their difficult life experiences as weaknesses. They view what they go through as a source of embarrassment and shame sometimes. But as we all know, it's really just the opposite, and it's important for them to understand that," she said.

Michelle said she wanted young people to understand that their struggles can actually be a source of strength and even a source of pride.

"I tell my kids, you can't always teach resilience. It's the life you live that gets you there. And these kids have lived some lives," she said.

Michelle Obama hosted a screening and discussion at the White House yesterday on the film "The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete", about two inner-city kids left to fend for themselves in the Bronx.