Ed. note: This is cross-posted on The Huffington Post. See the original post here.
It's easy to talk about the importance of college. But some folks really walk the walk.
I had the thrilling opportunity to meet some of them a few years ago, when I joined the college signing day at YES Prep in Houston, Texas. As I told the audience that day, I was moved nearly to tears as students announced their college plans to a cheering stadium, and signed letters committing to their college. It was the kind of unbridled enthusiasm we usually reserve for sporting events – and yet it was also like a family reunion. It was overwhelming.
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama will take that experience to a whole new level when she gives a name to her college access initiative, Reach Higher, at the culmination of a city-wide college celebration in San Antonio, Texas. All week, the entire city has been focused on the vital importance of getting a college degree. Today, the First Lady will witness an auditorium full of high school seniors committing to entering and completing college.
Their embrace of that goal is part of changing our country's future. A generation ago, our young people were first in the world in their college completion rate – but now we are 12th in the world. President Obama has set a goal of reclaiming our world leadership.
And we are seeing some really important progress. Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of announcing our new cohort high school graduation rate, which at 80% is the highest in US history. And last month, we learned that attainment of college degrees last year saw its biggest rise since 2008.
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