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(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Michelle Obama's picture
One of the greatest lessons I learned from my mom was about the importance of education. Neither she nor my father had gone to college, but they were determined to see me and my brother get a good education. So starting when I was young, my mom volunteered at my school, helping out in the front office and making sure my teachers were doing their jobs and my school was running like it should be. 
 
My mom wasn’t a teacher, or principal, or school board member, but she believed that our education was very much her business. And while I was occasionally mortified by her presence at my school, in retrospect, I have no doubt that my classmates and I got a better education because she was there, keeping an eye on things. 
 
Today, we need more people like my mom – people who think the education of our young people is their business, because it is. In my work on this issue as First Lady, I’m constantly thinking about the example my mom set by ensuring I got a good education. I hope I can do the same for our next generation.

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