Making her debut as a commencement speaker before a crowd of 12,000 on Saturday, FIrst Lady Michelle Obama praised graduates at the University of California, Merced, the state's smallest, youngest public university.
She urged the 493 members of the school's first full graduating class to give back to their communities:
"Many of you may be considering leaving town with your diploma in hand, and it wouldn't be unreasonable," she said. "By using what you've learned here you can shorten the path perhaps for kids who may not see a path at all. I was once one of those kids."
"Remember that you are blessed -- remember that in exchange for those blessings you must give something back," Obama told the crowd. "You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future."
The young school had worked hard to court Obama as a speaker, writing letters to her office, friends and family, and even starting a "Dear Michelle" Facebook campaign that sent 900 Valentine's Day cards to her.
Huffington Post/AP
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