President’s come and go, and sometimes their legacies are felt for decades while at other times they fade away. Often though, they are not the only resident’s of the White House who leave a legacy. People continue to talk about the legacy of Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton is still creating her legacy, Laura Bush’s legacy and outreach to children is still fresh in our minds, and in joining the First Ladies to come before her, Michelle Obama is about to create a legacy.
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off a leadership and mentoring program. The program will consist of 20 area high school girls who were picked by their principals, and they will learn life skills from a number of senior White House officials including, Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett, and Second Lady Jill Biden.
In a speech at the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama said, "In every part of government, there are women who are hungry to help bring you guys up
. I always wanted to be a bridge between kids like me and the possibilities that can propel them to greatness."
Back in January of 2006, then First Lady Laura Bush partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Advertising Council to launch a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage adults to become a mentor. According to Laura Bush, "Mentors can help children develop the strong character to make wise and healthy decisions. And they can shape a world in which good values are encouraged and dangerous behavior is unacceptable. By sharing with others the experiences and rewards of mentoring, we can inspire others to dedicate their time and talent and energy to helping the children in our communities."
In the United States there are approximately 14 million young people, who spend every day without positive intervention and who are in jeopardy of not reaching a successful adulthood, according to a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Becoming a mentor is an important and easy way for an adult to make a difference in a child’s life.
Regardless of what the public might think of the policies of President’s George W. Bush or Barack Obama, there should be little doubt in anyone’s mind that being a mentor is a positive action, and we commend First Lady Michelle Obama and Laura Bush before her for realizing the importance of mentoring and the role they can play to be supportive.
