Obama To Students: Dream Big, Work Hard

For the second year in a row, President Barack Obama delivered a back-to-school speech aimed at getting students excited about returning to the classroom.

Speaking at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration school in Philadelphia, the president told students that they can overcome the fact that times are tough by studying hard, putting in extra effort and keeping their dreams in sight.

“Nobody gets to write your destiny but you. Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing – absolutely nothing – is beyond your reach,” he said. “So long as you’re willing to dream big. So long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education.”

Reforming America’s public school system has long been a top priority for Obama, who acknowledged the challenges his administration faces in doing so. But, said the president, while government can ignite turnarounds in schools, students have the power to help themselves.

“Here’s your job: Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. That kind of discipline and drive – that kind of hard work – is absolutely essential for success.”

Obama used his own struggles as a student to illustrate to classrooms nationwide that a little effort goes a long way. According to the president, a frank conversation with his mother helped put things in perspective.

“My attitude was what I imagine every teenager’s attitude is in a conversation like that. I was like, ‘I don’t need to hear all this.’ So, I started to say that, and she just cut me right off. ‘You can’t just sit around,’ she said…She said I could get into any school in the country if I just put in a little effort. Then she gave me a hard look and added, ‘Remember what that’s like? Effort?’”

“It was pretty jolting,” he added.

Unlike last year’s speech to students at Wakefield High School in Northern Virginia, the president did not receive much, if any, criticism for his speech to Masterman’s students. While the speech was broadcast on cable, the White House billed the event as being entirely non-political. Also, this time around the Department of Education did not present schools with the option of having students write about Obama’s remarks.