- Wow. (crowd cheering) Let me just take it in. First of all, it is beyond
a pleasure and an honor to be here to celebrate the
City College of New York class of 2016. You all, I mean, this has been the most
fun I think I've had at a commencement, ever. (crowd cheering) Let me just say a few thank yous. Let me start of course by
thanking president Coico for that wonderful introduction, for her leadership here at City College, for this honorary degree. I also want to recognize Senator Schumer, Chancellor Milican, trustee Shorter, Edward Plotkin as well as
your amazing valedictorian, Andoni Mourdoukoutas. Did I get it right? Andoni. And your amazing salutatorian,
Orubba Almansouri. I really don't want to
follow those two. (laughs) If anybody is wondering about
the quality of education, just listening to those two speakers lets you know what's happening here. And I'm so proud of you
both, and to your families, congratulations, well done, well done. And of course, let us not
forget Elizabeth Aklilu for her amazing performance
of the national anthem earlier today. She blew it out of the water. But most of all I want to
acknowledge all of you, the brilliant, talented,
ambitious, accomplished, and all around outstanding
members of the class of 2016. Woo! You give me chills. You all have worked so
hard and come so far to reach this milestone. So I know this is a big day for
all of you and your families and for everyone at this
school who supported you on this journey. And in many ways this
is a big day for me too. See, this is my very
last commencement address as first lady of the United States. This is it. So I just want to take it all in. And I think this was
the perfect place to be because this is my last
chance to share my love and admiration and hopefully
a little bit of wisdom with a graduating class. Graduates, I really want you all to know that there is a reason
why, of all of the colleges and universities in this country, I chose this particular
school in this particular city for this special moment. And I'm here because of all of you. I mean, we've talked about it. Andoni, I'm gonna talk a little bit about diversity, thank you. Just look around. Look at who you are. Look at where we're gathered today. As the president eloquently
said at this school, you represent more than 150 nationalities. You speak more than 100
different languages. Whoa, just stop there. You represent just about
every possible background, every color and culture,
every faith and walk of life. And you've taken so many
different paths to this moment. Maybe your family has been
in the city for generations or maybe like my family,
they came to this country centuries ago in chains. Maybe they just arrived here recently, determined to give you a better life. But graduates, no matter
where your journey started, you have all made it here today
through the same combination of unyielding determination,
sacrifice, and a whole lot of hard work. Commuting hours each day
to class, some of you. Juggling-- Yes, amen. Juggling multiple jobs
to support your families and pay your tuition. Studying late into the
night, early in the morning on subways and buses. And in those few precious
minutes during breaks at work. And somehow you still
found time to give back to your communities,
tutoring young people, reading to kids,
volunteering at hospitals. Somehow you still manage to
do prestigious internships and research fellowships
and join all kinds of clubs and activities. And here at this nationally
ranked university with a rigorous curriculum
and renowned faculty, you rose to the challenge. Distinguishing yourselves
and your classes, winning countless honors and awards, and getting into top graduate schools across the country, whoa. So graduates, with your
glorious diversity, with your remarkable accomplishments and your deep commitment
to your communities, you all embody the very purpose
of this school's founding. And more importantly, you embody the very hopes and dreams carved into the base of that iconic statue not so far from where we sit, on that island were so
many of your predecessors at this school first
set foot on our shores. And that is why I wanted to
be here today at City College. I wanted to be here to
celebrate all of you, this school, this city, because I know that there is
no better way to celebrate this great country than
being here with you. See, all of you know for centuries, this city has been the gateway to America for so many striving,
hope filled immigrants. Folks who left behind everything they knew to seek out this land of
opportunity that they dreamed of. And so many of those folks, for them, this school was the gateway
to actually realizing that opportunity in their lives. Funded on the fundamental truth that talent and ambition
know no distinctions of race, nationality, wealth, or fame, and dedicated to the ideals
that our founding fathers put forth more than two centuries ago, that we are all created equal. All entitled to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. City College became a haven for brilliant, motivated students of every background. A place where they didn't
have to hide their last names or their accents, or
put on any kind of airs because the students at
this school were selected based not on pedigree, but
on merit and merit alone. So really, (crowd cheering) it is no accident that this
institution has produced 10 Nobel Prize winners. Along with countless captains of industry, cultural icons, leaders at the
highest levels of government. Because talent and effort combined with our various backgrounds and
life experiences has always been the lifeblood of our
singular American genius. Just take the example of
the great American lyricist Ira Gershwin, who attended
City College a century ago. The son of a Russian Jewish immigrant, his songs still light up Broadway today. Or consider the story of the former CEO of Intel, Andrew Grove, class of 1960. He was a Hungarian immigrant
whose harrowing escape from Nazism and communism shaped both his talent for business and his commitment to philanthropy. And just think about the students in this very graduating class. Students like the
economics and pre-law major from Albania who also
completed the requirements for a philosophy major and dreams of being a public intellectual. The educational theater student
from right here in Harlem who's already an award winning playwright and recently spoke at the White House. The biomedical science major
who was born in Afghanistan and plans to be a doctor, a policy maker, and an educator. (crowd cheering) And your salutatorian, whose Yemeni roots inspired her to study
Yemeni women's writing and to advocate for
girls in her community, urging them to find their own voices, to tell their own stories. I could go on. These are just four of the nearly 4,000 unique and amazing stories
in this graduating class. Stories that have converged
here at City College. This dynamic, inclusive
place where you all have had the chance to really
get to know each other, to listen to each other's languages, to enjoy each other's food. Lasagna, obviously. Music and holidays. Debating each other's ideas, pushing each other to
question old assumptions and consider new perspectives. And those interactions have
been such a critical part of your education. At this school, those
moments when your classmate showed you that your stubborn opinion wasn't all that well informed. Mhm. Or when they open your
eyes to an injustice you never knew existed. Or when they helped you with a question that you couldn't have
possibly answered on your own. I think your valedictorian put it best, and this is a quote. He said "the sole irreplaceable component "of my CCNY experience came
from learning alongside people "with life experiences strikingly
different from my own." He said "I've learned that
diversity in human experience "gives rise to diversity in thought, "which creates distinct ideas "and methods of problem solving." That's an okay quote. Okay, you're bright. I couldn't have said it better myself. That is the power of our differences, to make us smarter and more creative. And that is how all those
infusions of new cultures and ideas, generation after generation, created the matchless
alchemy of our melting pot and helped us build the strongest, most vibrant, most prosperous
nation on the planet. Right here. But unfortunately, graduates,
despite the lessons of our history and the
truth of your experience here at City College, some folks out there seem to have a very different perspective. They seem to view our
diversity as a threat to be contained, rather than
as a resource to be tapped. They tell us to be afraid
of those who are different, to be suspicious of those
with whom we disagree. They act as if name calling
is an acceptable substitute for thoughtful debate. As if anger and intolerance
should be our default state rather than the optimism and openness that have always been the
engine of our progress. But graduates, I can
tell you as first lady, I have had the privilege of
traveling around the world and visiting dozens of
different countries, and I have seen what happens when ideas like these take hold. I have seen how leaders
who rule by intimidation, leaders who demonize and
dehumanize entire groups of people often do so because they
have nothing else to offer. And I've seen how places
that stifle the voices and dismiss the potential
of their citizens are diminished, how they are less vital, less hopeful, less free. Graduates, that is not who we are. That is not what this country stands for. No, no, here in America, we don't let our
differences tear us apart. Not here, because we know
that our greatness comes when we appreciate each other's strengths. When we learn from each other,
when we lean on each other, because in this country,
it's never been each person for themselves, no, we're
all in this together. We always have been. And here in America, we
don't give in to our fears. We don't build up walls to keep people out because we know that our greatness has always depended on
contributions from people who were born elsewhere, but sought out this country
and made it their home. From innovations like Google and Ebay to inventions like the
artificial heart, the telephone, even the blue jeans. To beloved patriotic songs
like God Bless America, like national landmarks
like the Brooklyn Bridge and yes, the White House. Both of which were designed by architects who were immigrants. Finally, graduates, our
greatness has never, ever come from sitting back and feeling
entitled to what we have. It's never come from folks
who climbed the ladder of success or who happened
to be born near the top and then pulled the ladder
up after themselves. No, uh uh, our greatness
has always come from people who expect nothing and
take nothing for granted. Folks who work hard for what they have, then reached back and
helped others after them. That is your story, graduates. And that is the story of your families. (crowd cheering) And it's the story of my family, too. As many of you know, I grew
up in a working class family in Chicago. While neither of my parents
went past high school, let me tell you, they saved up every penny that my dad earned at his city job because they were determined
to send me to college. Even after my father was
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he struggled to
walk, relying on crutches just to get himself out
of bed each morning, my father hardly ever
missed a day of work. See, that blue collar job helped to pay the small
portion of my college tuition that wasn't covered by loans or grants or my work study or my summer jobs. And my dad was so proud
to pay that tuition bill on time each month. Even taking out loans when he fell short. He never wanted me to miss
a registration deadline because his check was late. That's my story. And graduates, you all
have faced challenges far greater than anything I or my family have ever experienced. Challenges that most college students could never even imagine. Some of you have been homeless. Some of you have risked the
rejection of your families to pursue your education. Many of you have lain awake at night wondering how on earth
you were gonna support your parents and your kids
and still pay tuition. And many of you know
what it's like to live not just month to month, or day to day, but meal to meal. But graduates, let me tell you you should never, ever be
embarrassed by those struggles. You should never view your
challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important
for you to understand that your experience facing
and overcoming adversity is actually one of your
biggest advantages. And I know that because
I've seen it myself, not just as a student
working my way through school but years later, before
I came to the White House and I worked as a dean at a college. In that role, I encountered students who had every advantage. Their parents paid their full tuition, they lived in beautiful campus dorms, they had every material possession
a college kid could want, cars, computers, spending money. But when some of them got
their first bad grade, they just fell apart. They lost it. Because they were ill equipped to handle their first encounter with
disappointment or falling short. But graduates, as you all know, life will put many obstacles in your path that are far worse than a bad grade. You'll have unreasonable
bosses and difficult clients and patients. You'll experience illnesses and losses, crises and setbacks that
will come out of nowhere and knock you off your feet. But unlike so many other young people, you have already developed the
resilience and the maturity that you need to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and
keep moving through the pain. Keep moving forward. You have developed that muscle and with the education you've
gotten at this fine school, and the experiences
you've had in your lives, let me tell you nothing,
and I mean nothing is going to stop you from
fulfilling your dreams and you deserve every
last one of the successes that I know you will have. But I also want to be very
clear that with those successes comes a set of obligations. To share the lessons you've
learned here at this school, the obligation to use the
opportunities you've had to help others. That means raising your
hand when you get a seat in that board meeting
and asking the question, "Whose voices aren't being heard here? "What ideas are we missing?" It means adding your voice
to our national conversation, speaking out for our most cherished values of liberty, opportunity,
inclusion, and respect. The values that you've been
living here at this school. It means reaching back
to help young people who have been left out and left behind, helping them prepare for college. Helping them pay for college. Making sure that great public
universities like this one have the funding and
support that they need. (crowd cheering) Because we all know that public universities have always been one of the greatest
drivers of our prosperity, lifting countless people
into the middle class, creating jobs and wealth
all across this nation. Public education is our greatest pathway to opportunity in America,
so we need to invest in and strengthen our
public universities today and for generations to come. That is how you will do your part to live up to the oath that
you all will take here today. The oath taken by generations
of graduates before you to make your city and your world greater, better, and more beautiful. More than anything else, graduates, that is the American story. It's your story and the story of those who came before you at this school. It's the story of the
son of Polish immigrants named Jonas Salk, who toiled for years in a lab until he discovered a vaccine that saved countless lives. It's the story of the son
of Jamaican immigrants named Colin Powell, who
became a four-star general, secretary of state, and a
role model for young people across the country. And graduates, it's the
story that I witness every single day when I wake up in a house that was built by slaves and I watch my daughters, two
beautiful, black young women head off to school. Waving goodbye to their father, the president of the United States. The son of a man from Kenya who came here to America
for the same reasons as many of you. To get an education and
improve his prospects in life. So graduates, while I
think it's fair to say that our founding fathers never
could ave imagined this day, all of you are very much
the fruits of their vision. Their legacy is very much your legacy and your inheritance. And don't let anybody
tell you differently. You are the living, breathing proof that the American dream
endures in our time. It's you. So I want you all to
go out there, be great, build great lives for yourself, enjoy the liberties that you
have in this great country. Pursue your own version of happiness, and please, please, always do your part to help others do the same. I love you all. I am so proud of you. Thank you for allowing me to
share this final commencement with you. I have so much faith in who you will be. Just keep working hard and keep the faith. I can't wait to see what you
all achieve in the years ahead. Thank you all, God bless,
good luck on the road ahead. (crowd applauding) - [Crowd] Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
