Former First Lady Michelle Obama met with members of the 2019-2020 cohort of Obama Foundation Scholars online to share advice and answer questions about leadership in difficult times.  “We need your energy and your focus,” Mrs. Obama told the Scholars in the conversation, adding: “To say I’m proud, it’s too simple a term for you all. We are lucky to be here to support you.”
 
Members of the Columbia cohort of Obama Foundation Scholars took part in the discussion alongside members of the University of Chicago cohort, and the Obama Foundation Fellows.
 
Mrs. Obama took questions from Scholars including Wai Wai Nu, who asked her what she thought essential qualities for overcoming day-to-day racism and marginalization are. “What gives me strength is knowing who I am and being very comfortable in my truth. That takes a lot of work and a lot of reflection. That solid foundation starts with the messages that you get at home from your mothers and your sibling and your community. It starts that early,” Mrs. Obama responded. Peter Kwame Mwakio, also a member of the 2019-2020 Columbia cohort, asked whether there is a better question to ask children than what they would like to become when they grow up. “Ask them what are their dreams. And from there you can understand: Are their dreams limited? Are their dreams creative? Where else can we help them fill in so that they can dream even bigger for themselves?”
 
In April, Scholars met with former President Barack Obama in an online conversation, where he told them: “In a lot of ways crises like this sharpen our focus and I hope for all of you have underscored why the work you do is so important.”
 
Watch video excerpts from the Scholars’ conversation with Mrs. Obama here: