First Lady Jill Biden urges Los Angeles City College graduates: "Never forget where you came from"
First Lady Jill Biden urged Los Angeles City College's graduates to never forget they path they took to get to the commencement ceremony at the famous Greek Theatre.
Biden, an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, is the first presidential spouse to work full-time outside the White House. In introducing Biden, Mayor Eric Garcetti called her "a source of renewable energy" and a "North star."
During her 15-minute address, she said she uses the poem "Where I'm From," by George Ella Lyon for her first lesson of the year.
"It's verses tell the story of the author's hometown, not in locations, but in sensations and experiences and memories. Then I ask my students to think about their own lives: Where does their inner strength come from? What made them who they are?"
Biden told the graduates that they'll spend the rest of their lives and careers being defining themselves for others, but that each of them should remember their stories are more than a hometown, or a degree.
"Those things don't define you — and neither does your hometown. But it is a part of your story," she said. "My message to you today is this: Never forget where you come from."
Biden noted that many of LA City College's graduates overcame adversities to achieve their goal, juggling schools, jobs, and children even as the whole world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
"You astonish me with your grit and determination," she said.
More than 1,000 graduates, included those from the classes of 2020 and 2021, were expected to attend the commencement ceremony. It was the first time Los Angeles City College was able to hold an in-person graduation since the start of the pandemic.
"My charge to you is this," Biden said. "Never forget your path, the people who brought you here, or the lessons you've realized along the way. Never forget where you came from. It doesn't have to define you, but it will always have something to teach you. Never forget what made you who you are — and then, you will be ready for wherever you choose to go next."
