The Inspirational Michelle Obama

This is an endearing portrayal of First Lady Michelle Obama and her efforts to empower low-income children of color to believe in themselves despite society's odds:

Mrs. Obama has repeatedly traveled to Anacostia and other neighborhoods rarely visited by the power elite here in an effort to reach out to young people who are struggling to succeed. [snip]

While Mrs. Obama’s parents pushed her to achieve, she says teachers, counselors and classmates often questioned her abilities and potential. Today, when she speaks to black and Hispanic teenagers, she often shares her own memories of feeling like an outsider, disconnected and doubted in a community that was largely isolated from the centers of power.

Her experience really resonates with me (ok, maybe not the First Lady part!).

On my father's side of my family, I am the first person to graduate from college.  Most of my cousins have G.E.D.s., are disabled, and work in temporary or low-wage jobs.  I have this one cousin who is now in junior high who LOVES school and we are all working really hard to keep her engaged, especially at this age, when so many kids face peer pressure and start to lose their way.  I joke that I got into MIT through the back door, as I was given a qualified acceptance (i.e., not funded to attend) and invited to show up if I could find the $$ to pay for it.  This involved basically networking my way across the faculty until I found paid research opportunities, and then negotiating a funding package with my department in a way that no student had done before. I'm scrappy like that, but talk about not being able to shake the insecurity that goes along with a half-a** acceptance compared to some of your peers.  (I know, I know, it's still a cushy spot I've got.)

When I was in high school, my guidance counselor routinely advised me to aim lower in terms of colleges, and I applied only locally, because I couldn't mentally fathom leaving New England, as I hadn't traveled too far from home at that age.  My world was small, and making my way to MIT involved the unwavering (if sometimes skeptical) support of my parents and mostly just figuring out my options along the way, in part by looking around at what other people were doing and figuring why not try that too.

I hear stories like this from others I've met along the way - one guy I met in business school told me his parents wanted him to turn down Wall Street jobs and look for something secure, based on their experience as government employees.  Another good friend's parents also discouraged her from business school; she's now a VP at her finance company.  A professor I know's family told her not to go to college at all.  Etc. Etc.

So when I read about Mrs. Obama's achievements, the word I often think of in terms of my own experience comes up again - "striving."  And this is something I believe the majority of us exhibit - I think most Americans strive towards something better for themselves and their families. It's why I push back so strongly on stereotypes of the poor.  It's awfully hard to believe in yourself when society is telling you you can't succeed, that you shouldn't even try, and throwing up roadblocks every step of the way.  But I think that inherent desire to improve upon oneself is there in most of us.  And I adore Mrs. Obama's efforts to reach out to young women and children to stoke that spirit in them.

Now we just need to put the policies and resources in place so they can realize their dreams.

Happy Memorial Day.

(Photo by US Army)