Though First Lady Michelle Obama had just begun her speech, At-Large school board member Ilryong Moon could hardly contain his excitement when he began clapping and cheering, receiving a warm smile from the First Lady. Moon’s excitement was symbolic of the pride the Korean-American communities were feeling when they got to see the first ladies of both their countries.
First Lady Michelle Obama visited AHS on Oct. 13 with the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Kim Yoon-ok. They arrived at roughly 11:00 a.m. and were led into the gymnasium by ten student ambassadors to begin the scheduled event.
Principal Vince Randazzo formally introduced Obama before she came on stage. Obama addressed the students in a speech, referencing the importance of an education and encouraging students to discover what interests them and pursue it.
Everything she said was translated into Korean, allowing everyone present to partake in the event.
“Education is what brings us here to AHS,” Obama said. “An education is also about exploring new things, discovering what makes you come alive and then doing whatever you choose.”
Obama encouraged students to explore the many opportunities offered to them, citing performer Jennifer Ko from earlier in the event as an example of someone who experimented with many different activities before discovering her passion.
“And that is what I want for every single student in this room; I want you to discover something you like to do and be the best that you can be,” she said.
The first lady also mentioned U.S. President Barack Obama and President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak in her speech, using them as examples of those who rise from nothing to defy the odds and achieve success.
“No matter who it is, you will see the same qualities: passion, perseverance and most importantly, hard work,” she said.
Obama went on to conclude her speech by tying it back to AHS, calling the school the “perfect place to find out who you are and what you want to become.”
The first lady then welcomed her honorable guest, allowing Kim to take the stage and present a speech of her own.
Again a translator was used, as the first lady of the Republic of Korea addressed those present solely in Korean.
Kim began by describing the school’s diversity and her pride at being present to witness firsthand the strong ties between the U.S. and South Korea. She then offered encouragement to the student body, saying that they would “soon need to confront the world.”
She further advised those present to remain hopeful throughout their future endeavors, always staying positive and striving to achieve success.
“Hope is still there even when you only see despair,” Kim said to the audience prior to the conclusion of her speech. She then thanked Randazzo and Obama for the invitation to attend, saying that she would cherish the opportunity for a long time to come.
One of the reasons Moon found pride in this event was because of Congress’ recent ratification of a free trade deal with Korea. For that reason, he thought that the event at AHS would be symbolic of this recent progress and finds pride in the fact that the two nations are such strong allies and trading partners.
“It’s a model school for embracing the diversity,” Moon said. “It is such a joyous opportunity for both countries.”
At the same time, he does not believe that the Korean community as a whole will be treated any differently following the visit by the first ladies.
“[The Korean community] has always gotten attention,” Moon said.
Tina Hone, Moon’s counterpart on the school board as an At-Large representative, agreed that the event called attention to the “unique” diversity found at AHS.
“It’s amazing to remind people of what a magical school it is,” Hone said. “To see a high school with that range of ethnicities is a great symbol to the world.”
Assistant Superintendent of Cluster III Schools Dan Parris also saw the significance of the diversity around him when he entered the gymnasium.
“This is a cultural event,” Parris said.
The event began with a performance by the World Children’s Choir, which is comprised of children of all ages and ethnicities. The performance featured four different musical selections, including a traditional South Korean piece.
The World Children’s Choir performance was followed by presentations from two traditional Korean instrumentalists, AHS Ethiopian folk dancers junior Emmet Benti and seniors Sintayehu Meteku and Selam Desta and Grammy-nominated violinist Ko.
“We were really nervous, but it was great.” Benti said.
Following the speeches made by Obama and Kim, the student escorts then took the stage themselves, standing alongside both women for one last round of applause from the audience.
For the Korean students who were able to attend, the day proved to be a memorable occasion. Junior Chris
“I never went to Korea [before], so it was cool seeing them,” Lee said.tina Lee has family that lives in South Korea, but has not yet had the opportunity to travel to her native country. With Kim as the special guest, in a small way her country was able to come to her.
By Annie Curran, CJ Aftergut and Nikki Contrino
Co-Editors in Chief and Managing Editor
