US First Lady Michelle Obama graced and delivered the commencement at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) on Saturday, May 7 at about 11:20 a.m.
In her half-hour speech, Mrs. Obama shared her personal experiences in Iowa and urged graduates to keep the quintessential Iowa values of family, openness and service as they go out in the world to pursue their passions.
Mrs. Obama also praised the group of Navy SEALS who risked their lives to kill Osama bin Laden.
Here is a part of her commencement address:
In her half-hour speech, Mrs. Obama shared her personal experiences in Iowa and urged graduates to keep the quintessential Iowa values of family, openness and service as they go out in the world to pursue their passions.
Mrs. Obama also praised the group of Navy SEALS who risked their lives to kill Osama bin Laden.
Here is a part of her commencement address:
While a campaign is what initially brought me to Iowa, what brings me back today is something so much bigger, so much deeper and so much more personal to me.
"People didn’t know a thing about me, yet they listened. They asked questions. They gave me the benefit of the doubt and a chance to show who I was. And that’s because people here in Iowa understand that everyone has something to offer.
"You see, this state, the people I’ve met here and the things that I’ve learned here have all become an important part of my own journey.
"I want you to think of two words that showed this country that young people here at UNI have got what it takes. Those words? Ali Farokhmanesh" (referring to former UNI Panther basketball player Ali Farokhmanesh, who became the poster boy of the team's upset victory over Kansas in 2010 NCAA basketball tournament).
"Just imagine, a small group of brave men, dropped by helicopter, half a world away in the dead of night into unknown danger inside the lair of the most sought-after man in the world. They did not hesitate, risking everything for us, for our freedom and security. And they did it not just as Navy SEALs. They did it as husbands, as fathers, as sons. Their families were back here, with no idea of their mission or whether their loved one would ever come home. That is the very essence of the word 'service.'
"And the least we can do is give something back to these troops and their families who have given us so much."
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