Noah McQueen used to spend more time getting into trouble than getting good grades and listening to advice. But thanks to mentoring and hard work, he’s turned his life around.
“Couldn’t be prouder of you. I can’t wait to see all the great things that you’re going to achieve. Congratulations.” —President Obama at the White House mentorship graduation ceremony
“I am a black man who grew up without a father, and I know the cost that I paid for that. And I also know that I have the capacity to break that cycle, and as a consequence I think that my daughters are better off…For me to have that conversation does not negate my conversation about the need for early childhood education, or the need for job training, or the need for investment in infrastructure or jobs in low-income communities.” —President Obama at the Georgetown University Poverty Summit
“America’s future depends on us caring about this.” —President Obama on helping young people from every community succeed
“You matter. You matter to us.” —President Obama to young boys and men of color
President Obama’s headed to Lehman College to talk about a new non-profit’s efforts to expand opportunity. We can all do more to give every child the same chance this country has given so many of us.
“I know you’re going to do great things.” —President Obama to mentee Noah McQueen. Listen to their conversation with npr’s StoryCorps.
“We want fewer young men in jail. We want more of them in college. We want fewer young men on the streets. We want more in the boardrooms. We want everybody to have a chance to succeed in America. And it’s possible if we’ve got the kind of team that we set up today.” —President Obama
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