Michelle Obama Offers Advice to College Students, Says She Can't Be First Lady Alone

FLOTUS spoke to more than 130 young adults at the 2015 Beating the Odds Summit.

By McKenna Aiello Jul 24, 2015 8:21 PMTags
Watch: Why Michelle Obama Says She Can't Be First Lady Alone

Michelle Obama is making school cool again. 

The first lady was joined by E!'s own Terrence Jenkins, rapper Wale and more than 130 college-bound students at the White House to discuss tackling obstacles in school and the importance of education at the 2015 Beat the Odds Summit. 

FLOTUS called education "the first star you grab for," and even offered a playful shout out to her co-panelists. "That's why I'm sitting on this panel with all these handsome men. Right, ladies?! If this is what education is about...," Michelle joked. 

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Similar to the diverse group of student attendees, President Barack Obama was the first in his family to go to college and Michelle graduated from Princeton University.

The first lady recalled her own college experience, advising students—regardless of upbringing and background—to lean on each other during tough times. 

"You cannot live in isolation when you go to college," she explained. "The kids who didn't make it from my school or graduated later usually were the ones that I didn't see. They just disappeared and they tried to fix the stuff themselves without having conversations."

Watch: Why Michelle Obama Says She Can't Be First Lady Alone

"You cannot do this alone and you're not supposed to do it alone. You have to get into the habit forever and ever and ever of asking for help," FLOTUS continued.

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Michelle also admitted that even she, "cannot be first lady alone" adding, "I have a team of people. I have my mother living here. Some days I'm just like, 'Mom, help me! Help me!"