KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Don’t mimic Washington by making excuses, President Barack Obama advised graduating high school students on Monday night as he urged them to take responsibility for failure as well as success.
In remarks to the senior class of Kalamazoo Central High School, Obama said it’s easy to blame others when problems arise.
“We see it every day out in Washington, with folks calling each other names and making all sorts of accusations on TV,” the president said.
He said the high school kids can and have done better than that.
The 1,700-student school in southwest Michigan bested more than 1,000 schools — including the Denver School of Science & Technology — to win a national education competition in which the prize was Obama as graduation speaker. The school was among three finalists picked after the public voted on videos and essays submitted by the schools. The White House made the final selection.
Obama, who says a better-educated workforce will help the U.S. stay competitive globally, said the school had set an example with its level of community and parental involvement and the high standards of its teachers.
“I think that America has a lot to learn from Kalamazoo Central about what makes for a successful school in this new century,” he told some 5,000 people, including the 280 graduates.
