Michelle Obama talking to mexican students
And there’s also a reason why I wanted to come here to the Ibero and  speak with all of you.  It’s the same reason why, when my husband  travels abroad to talk about the challenges we face –- from extremism to  nuclear weapons, from poverty and hunger to climate change and to  pandemics –- he doesn’t just meet with presidents and prime ministers.   He doesn’t just visit palaces and parliaments.  He goes to schools and  to universities and he meets with young people just like all of you. And this isn’t an accident.  Today, we’re seeing what has come to be  called a “youth bulge” –- an explosion of the youth population in  nations around the world.  And here in Mexico, nearly half the  population is under the age of 25.  In the Middle East, it’s 60  percent.  And young people between the ages of 15 and 24 alone now make  up 20 percent of the world’s citizens.  This is the largest group in  history making the transition to adulthood.   And the fact is, is that responsibility for meeting the defining  challenges of our time will soon fall to all of you.  Soon, the world  will be looking to your generation to make the discoveries and to build  the industries that will fuel our prosperity and ensure our well-being  for decades to come.  We’re going to be looking to your generation to seize the promise of  clean energy to power our economies and preserve our planet for your  children and your grandchildren.  We’re going to be looking to your  generation to find the courage and the patience to resolve the conflicts  and to heal the divides that plague our world. And I’m here today because I believe that all of you, and your peers  around the world, are more ready than ever to meet these challenges.   More than any generation in history, you all are able to access  information and connect with one another in ways that my generation  could never have imagined.  With the click of a button, you can exchange  thoughts on any issue with people just about anywhere in the world.   You have an unprecedented ability to organize and to mobilize to  challenge old assumptions, and to bridge old divides, and to find new  solutions to our toughest problems.   And it is because of this immense promise that I intend to focus my  international work as First Lady on engaging young people just like you  all around the world.  My husband and I know all too well that meeting the challenges that we  will face will depend on whether we effectively tap into your God-given  potential –- whether we fully benefit from the industry and the energy  and the perspectives of young people from every background and every  nation.  Because we know that ambition and ability are found in every  corner of the globe.  The question is, how do we ensure that opportunity  is, too?   Now, my husband and President Calderon are working hard to rebuild  our education systems, to revive our economies, and to create new  opportunities for young people in both of our nations.  But leaders and  governments can’t shoulder this responsibility alone.  Ordinary citizens  must share the responsibility as well -– and that includes young  people. And it’s not just enough just to change laws and policies.  We must  also change our perceptions about who can and who can’t succeed.  We  have to confront the wrong and outdated ideas and assumptions that only  certain young people deserve to be educated; or that girls aren’t as  capable as boys; or that some young people are less worthy of  opportunities because of their religion or disability or ethnicity or  socioeconomic class -- because we have seen time and again that  potential can be found in some of the most unlikely places.  My husband and I are living proof of that.  We both came from very  modest backgrounds.  Our families were not wealthy.  My parents never  went to college.  My husband never really knew his father and was raised  by a young single mother who struggled to pay the bills.  And like many kids with backgrounds like ours, we faced challenges:   the sting of low expectation; the constant doubts about whether we could  succeed, and whether we were even worth the effort.  You see, back when  we were young, no one could have predicted that one day we would become  the President and First Lady of the United States of America.   But we were lucky and more importantly we were blessed.  We had  families who believed in us.  We had teachers who pushed us.  We had  universities that saw our potential and gave us opportunity.  And we  worked as hard as we could.  We learned as much as we could.  And as a  result, we were prepared and we were poised to pursue our dreams.   And our stories are not unique.  They’re the stories of countless  young people in Mexico, in the United States, and around the world  who’ve worked hard and they’ve defied the odds.  They’re the stories of  young people throughout history who’ve succeeded not because of their  trust fund, or pedigree, or their test scores, but because of challenges  that tested and motivated them and made them who they are, and because  someone somewhere believed in them and helped them believe in  themselves. When he was orphaned at a young age and sought work as a servant, no  one could have imagined that Benito Juarez would one day become one of  Mexico’s greatest presidents.  But thanks to a Franciscan friar who  helped him join a seminary and get an education, he was able to realize  his gifts. One of my country’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was born in  a one-room log cabin in the woods –- but was lucky enough to have a  teacher who taught him how to write and debate. And then there’s Joan of Arc, the daughter of a peasant farmer who  tried to persuade anyone who would listen that she could rescue the  French army from defeat.  And when a prince finally believed her, that’s  exactly what she did.   You see, throughout our world history, it has so often been that  unlikely hero, that unusual perspective, that improbable journey that  has been the key to our progress.  So when we dismiss any of our young  people, when we fail to tap into their potential, we risk losing their  promise.  And just think of the inventions and the cures that are never  discovered, the great works of art and literature that are never  created, the great acts of courage and leadership that never grace this  world.    But this isn’t just about discovering those few extraordinary folks  who still or will change the course of history.  It’s also about  breaking down barriers across the globe so that all our young people can  learn and work and be productive members of our societies.  It’s about  seeking the perspectives and experiences of young people from every  background –- those new ideas that make our businesses more productive,  our cultures more vibrant, and our governments more open and free.   But in order to do this –- in order to open up opportunities for more  young people –- the truth is that those of you who already have a seat  at the table must do your part to make room for others who don’t.  Young  people around the world must reach out to help others realize their  talents and make their voices heard. Now, I understand that in these difficult economic times here in  Mexico, the United States, and around the world, many young people are  struggling and nothing is guaranteed.  And even young people like those  of you who have the privilege of attending a university like this may be  feeling a bit uncertain about your futures.  Some of you may be worried about whether you’ll even be able to build  careers of your own.  And you may be tempted -- tempted to focus solely  on your individual success, take your diploma, get you the best job you  can, and never look back.   But before you do that, I hope that you’ll just think, just for a  moment, think about the mission statement of this university, and that  is to prepare students, and I quote, “to engage in service to others and  develop and spread knowledge to achieve a free, fair, united and  productive society.”   I hope that you’ll think of those words from the Bible -– that to  whom much is given, much is required.  And I hope that you’ll think of  all those who’ve shaped our history by heeding these words. Imagine if Mahatma Ghandi had led a comfortable existence as a lawyer  instead of leading the struggle for the rights of his countrymen and  his nation’s independence –- work he started when he was in his  twenties.  Imagine if Nelson Mandela had chosen a life of leisure as the  son of a tribal leader instead of joining the ANC at the age of 24, and  enduring decades behind bars to end apartheid. Imagine if Mother Teresa  had never answered her calling and ventured into the streets of  Calcutta to tend to those in desperate need.   Now, I’m not saying that you have to take a vow of poverty or lead a  movement.  But I am asking you to do something -– whether through your  career, or as a volunteer –- do something to ensure that other young  people have the opportunities they deserve as well.  That’s what folks  like you are doing every day all across the globe, and right here in  Mexico. Alberto Salvador from Guanajuato was born deaf and was at first  denied admission to elementary school because of his disability.  But he  completed high school with honors, got a degree in the United States,  and then returned here to Mexico where he mentors deaf children and will  soon be starting his job as a teacher. And then there’s Mariana Vazquez del Mercado, who’s finishing law  school at Universidad Panamericana.  And she spends hours volunteering  in a free legal clinic and she also directs an organization that builds  housing for struggling families.  Of her work, she says -- and this is a  quote:  “The goal is to show that despite being young, we are  sufficiently responsible and aware.”  Alberto Irezabal, who graduated from the Ibero last year, used his  service project to help an indigenous community in Chiapas better  produce and sell their locally grown coffee.  And of his work, he says  -- this is also a quote:  “I believe we have a responsibility to see  that our projects succeed, not just for ourselves, but for our  country.”  Each and every one of these young people is working to break down  barriers and to open doors.  Each of them is giving others the chances  they’ve had to succeed.  But also let’s be clear –- I’m not just talking  to the university students who are here today.  I am also talking to  young people here in Mexico, and the United States, and around the world  who feel like they have no place at universities like this.   And I have met so many young people in so many places who have so  much to offer, but because of where they’re born, or the family they’re  born into, or the circumstances of their lives, they begin to doubt  themselves.  They begin to feel like they don’t belong, or they’re not  prepared, or they won’t measure up –- so they shouldn’t even try. Now while I was fortunate to have so many opportunities in my own  life, I can certainly understand those feelings.  See, when I first went  to college, I was filled with self-doubt.  I was convinced that  everyone else was smarter than I was –- and I felt like I just didn’t  fit in.  But I soon realized that I was just as capable, and had just as  much to contribute, as my classmates.  All I needed was a little  confidence in myself to make that happen. Now, it’s true, it is so true, that some of you might have to work a  lot harder to get what you want.  You might face many more obstacles and  setbacks.  But I want you to know that you belong in places like this  just as much as anyone.  You have just as much to offer as anyone else.   All you have to do is belief in yourself.  If you refuse to give up,  then there is nothing –- there is nothing you can’t accomplish.    And I hope that all of you, all of you here, when you encounter  hardships and when you start to get discouraged -- and I guarantee you,  you will -- I hope that you’ll think about young people like you all  around the world who have toiled in laboratories and libraries, in  factories and fields, who have marched and fought and bled to make our  world a better place.  I hope you’ll think about the young people two centuries ago who  risked everything they had for Mexico’s independence.  I hope you’ll  think about the young people in America who fought to ensure that all  citizens, no matter their gender or the color of their skin, were  treated equally under the law.  You and I, we’re here today because of  them. And finally, I hope you’ll think about young people like Sonia Kim.   She was a young woman I met yesterday during my visit in Haiti.  Sonia  works at the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince.  And like so many people in  Haiti, she has been working around the clock on the earthquake relief  efforts.   I want to read you an e-mail that she sent me.  This e-mail inspired  my trip there.  It’s inspired my trip here.  She wrote:  “We are  exhausted, traumatized and heart-broken.  But we choose to stay here and  work.  We choose to stay because we love Haiti and its people.  We  choose to stay because we believe in our duty to help the people here in  their greatest hour of need.  We choose to stay because we believe in  our mission.  We choose to stay because we still hold out hope... for  recovery and renewal... and for a Haiti built back better than before.” And I hope that every single one of you, and young people across the  globe, will take up that work –- the work of helping others in need, the  work of building stronger nations and a better world, because if we’re  going to tackle the challenges of our time -– if we’re going to make our  world safer and healthier and more prosperous and more free -– we are  going to need the passion and the daring and the creativity of every  last one of you.   We’ll need you to work as hard as you can, and do as much as you can,  driven by the belief that has always summed up the spirit of our youth  -- three simple words: Si, se puede –- Yes, we can.  Yes, we can.  Thank  you.  God bless.(Fuente: The White House Press Office)