Via: whitehouse.gov
First Lady Michelle Obama lauded the graduating seniors of Quantico Middle/High School here last night for their strength, resilience and maturity as they came of age in military families during a time of war.
“I think that all of you are incredibly special,” Obama told the class of 36 students, who greeted the first lady with a standing ovation and a resounding cheer at their commencement.
The class included nine students from Defense Department high schools in Japan who left with their families in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March. Obama praised the students for so readily accepting the Japan-based students into their midst. But that show of kindness and compassion, and the strength and grace of the incoming students, doesn’t surprise her one bit, she added, as they’re qualities she’s seen in just about every military kid she’s met.
These qualities are hard won, but will serve them well throughout their lives, the first lady told the military teens. Growing up in military families, the seniors faced more challenges and had more experiences in their first 18 years than most people have in a lifetime, Obama said. They each moved, on average, more than six times, with one student tallying up a total of 18 moves in the same number of years.
And many have dealt with a parent’s deployments, and the associated worry and fear, the first lady noted. But these challenges also have equipped them with a “resilience and sturdiness of spirit” that will prepare them for life’s setbacks and hardships, she added.
“A bad grade on a test, a bad day at work, that’s not going to knock you off your game,” Obama said, “because from a very young age, you all have been dealing with the big stuff, and that’s given you perspective.”
Quantico senior Ashtyn Morgan was in tears as she left the auditorium, calling them “tears of joy.” The night was overwhelming, she said, between seeing the first lady and having her father, Marine Corps Master Sgt. Daniel Morgan, at her graduation despite five previous deployments.
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