First Lady Obama to deliver commencement address at HBCU Tuskeegee University

buzzz worthy. . .

First Lady Michelle Obama to Address 2015 Graduating Seniors
Tuskeegee University is a historic Black college located in Tuskeegee, Alabama.

This year, as part of her Reach Higher initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver commencement addresses at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL; Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH; and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Preparatory High School (King College Prep) in Chicago, IL. All of these institutions are doing their part to answer the President’s call to ensure that America once again has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

 

Mrs. Obama will deliver remarks at Tuskegee University because of its legacy as one of America’s top historically black universities. She will deliver remarks at Oberlin College and King College Prep because of their outstanding video submissions to two commencement challenges issued by the First Lady last October: the “Near-Peer” Mentoring College Challenge and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion Challenge.

 

The “Near-Peer Mentoring College” Challenge was directed at college communities and institutes of higher education, urging them to share via student-produced video the ways that they are creating college immersion experiences for high school students. Research has shown that students connecting with other students, or “near-peers,” can make a significant difference in motivating them to make higher education a reality. 

View the First Lady’s video issuing the challenge HERE.

 

The FAFSA Completion Challenge was directed at high schools, urging them to creatively share via student-produced video how they are increasing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates among their seniors. 

View the First Lady’s video issuing the challenge HERE.

 

The First Lady’s Office received nearly 200 video submissions from schools across the country who are striving to make attending and completing college a reality for all students.  

Watch highlights of these video submissions HERE. 

Commencement details follow:

Tuskegee University on Saturday, May 9 at 11:00 AM (Central)

 

First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2015 at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Tuskegee University – founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881 – is a private, state-related historically black university and is the only university in the nation designated as a National Historic Site.  According to U.S. News and World Report, Tuskegee is listed as one of the top five HBCUs and amongst the top ten south regional colleges.