我们为什么去上学

Iknowthatformanyofyou,todayisthefirstdayofschool.Andforthoseofyouinkindergarten,orstartingmiddleorhighschool,it’syourfirstdayinanewschool,soit’sunderstandableifyou’realittlenervous.Iimaginetherearesomeseniorsouttherewhoarefeelingprettygoodrightnow--withjustonemoreyeartogo.Andnomatterwhatgradeyou’rein,someofyouareprobablywishingitwerestillsummerandyoucould’vestayedinbedjustalittlebitlongerthismorning.Iknowthatfeeling.WhenIwasyoung,myfamilylivedoverseas.IlivedinIndonesiaforafewyears.Andmymother,shedidn’thavethemoneytosendmewherealltheAmericankidswenttoschool,butshethoughtitwasimportantformetokeepupwithanAmericaneducation.Soshedecidedtoteachmeextralessonsherself,MondaythroughFriday.Butbecauseshehadtogotowork,theonlytimeshecoulddoitwasat4:30inthemorning.Now,asyoumightimagine,Iwasn’ttoohappyaboutgettingupthatearly.Andalotoftimes,I’dfallasleeprightthereatthekitchentable.ButwheneverI’dcomplain,mymotherwouldjustgivemeoneofthoselooksandshe’dsay,"Thisisnopicnicformeeither,buster."(Laughter.)SoIknowthatsomeofyouarestilladjustingtobeingbackatschool.ButI’mheretodaybecauseIhavesomethingimportanttodiscusswithyou.I’mherebecauseIwanttotalkwithyouaboutyoureducationandwhat’sexpectedofallofyouinthisnewschoolyear.Now,I’vegivenalotofspeechesabouteducation.AndI’vetalkedaboutresponsibilityalot.I’vetalkedaboutteachers’responsibilityforinspiringstudentsandpushingyoutolearn.I’vetalkedaboutyourparents’responsibilityformakingsureyoustayontrack,andyougetyourhomeworkdone,anddon’tspendeverywakinghourinfrontoftheTVorwiththeXbox.I’vetalkedalotaboutyourgovernment’sresponsibilityforsettinghighstandards,andsupportingteachersandprincipals,andturningaroundschoolsthataren’tworking,wherestudentsaren’tgettingtheopportunitiesthattheydeserve.Butattheendoftheday,wecanhavethemostdedicatedteachers,themostsupportiveparents,thebestschoolsintheworld--andnoneofitwillmakeadifference,noneofitwillmatterunlessallofyoufulfillyourresponsibilities,unlessyoushowuptothoseschools,unlessyoupayattentiontothoseteachers,unlessyoulistentoyourparentsandgrandparentsandotheradultsandputinthehardworkittakestosucceed.That’swhatIwanttofocusontoday:theresponsibilityeachofyouhasforyoureducation.Iwanttostartwiththeresponsibilityyouhavetoyourself.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingthatyou’regoodat.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingtooffer.Andyouhavearesponsibilitytoyourselftodiscoverwhatthatis.That’stheopportunityaneducationcanprovide.Maybeyoucouldbeagreatwriter--maybeevengoodenoughtowriteabookorarticlesinanewspaper--butyoumightnotknowituntilyouwritethatEnglishpaper--thatEnglishclasspaperthat’sassignedtoyou.Maybeyoucouldbeaninnovatororaninventor--maybeevengoodenoughtocomeupwiththenextiPhoneorthenewmedicineorvaccine

（疫苗）--butyoumightnotknowituntilyoudoyourprojectforyourscienceclass.Maybeyoucouldbeamayor市长orasenator议员oraSupremeCourtjustice（最高法院法官）--butyoumightnotknowthatuntilyoujoinstudentgovernmentorthedebateteam.Andnomatterwhatyouwanttodowithyourlife,Iguarantee

thatyou’llneedaneducationtodoit.Youwanttobeadoctor,orateacher,orapoliceofficer?Youwanttobeanurseoranarchitect,alawyeroramemberofourmilitary?You’regoingtoneedagoodeducationforeverysingleoneofthosecareers.Youcannotdropoutofschoolandjustdropintoagoodjob.You’vegottotrainforitandworkforitandlearnforit.Andthisisn’tjustimportantforyourownlifeandyourownfuture.Whatyoumakeofyoureducationwilldecidenothinglessthanthefutureofthiscountry.ThefutureofAmericadependsonyou.Whatyou’relearninginschooltodaywilldeterminewhetherweasanationcanmeetourgreatestchallengesinthefuture.You’llneedtheknowledgeandproblem-solvingskillsyoulearninscienceandmathtocurediseaseslikecancerandAIDS,andtodevelopnewenergytechnologiesandprotectourenvironment.You’llneedtheinsights（观察力）

andcritical-thinkingskillsyougaininhistoryandsocialstudiestofightpovertyandhomelessness,crimeanddiscrimination,andmakeournationmorefairandmorefree.You’llneedthecreativityandingenuity（思维）

youdevelopinallyourclassestobuildnewcompaniesthatwillcreatenewjobsandboostoureconomy.Weneedeverysingleoneofyoutodevelopyourtalentsandyourskillsandyourintellect

soyoucanhelpusoldfolkssolveourmostdifficultproblems.Ifyoudon’tdothat--ifyouquitonschool--you’renotjustquittingonyourself,you’requittingonyourcountry.Now,Iknowit’snotalwayseasytodowellinschool.Iknowalotofyouhavechallengesinyourlivesrightnowthatcanmakeithardtofocusonyourschoolwork.Igetit.Iknowwhatit’slike.MyfatherleftmyfamilywhenIwastwoyearsold,andIwasraisedbyasinglemomwhohadtoworkandwhostruggledattimestopaythebillsandwasn’talwaysabletogiveusthethingsthatotherkidshad.ThereweretimeswhenImissedhavingafatherinmylife.ThereweretimeswhenIwaslonelyandIfeltlikeIdidn’tfitin.SoIwasn’talwaysasfocusedasIshouldhavebeenonschool,andIdidsomethingsI’mnotproudof,andIgotinmoretroublethanIshouldhave.Andmylifecouldhaveeasilytakenaturnfortheworse.ButIwas--Iwaslucky.Igotalotofsecondchances,andIhadtheopportunitytogotocollegeandlawschoolandfollowmydreams.Mywife,ourFirstLadyMichelleObama,shehasasimilarstory.Neitherofherparentshadgonetocollege,andtheydidn’thavealotofmoney.Buttheyworkedhard,andsheworkedhard,sothatshecouldgotothebestschoolsinthiscountry.Someofyoumightnothavethoseadvantages.Maybeyoudon’thaveadultsinyourlifewhogiveyouthesupportthatyouneed.Maybesomeoneinyourfamilyhaslosttheirjobandthere’snotenoughmoneytogoaround（经济拮据）.Maybeyouliveinaneighborhoodwhereyoudon’tfeelsafe,orhavefriendswhoarepressuringyoutodothingsyouknowaren’tright.Butattheendoftheday,thecircumstancesofyourlife--whatyoulooklike,whereyoucomefrom,howmuchmoneyyouhave,whatyou’vegotgoingonathome--noneofthatisanexcuseforneglectingyourhomeworkorhavingabadattitudeinschool.That’snoexcusefortalkingbacktoyourteacher（顶嘴）,orcuttingclass,ordroppingoutofschool.Thereisnoexcusefornottrying.Whereyouarerightnowdoesn’thavetodeterminewhereyou’llendup.Noone’swrittenyourdestinyforyou,becausehereinAmerica,youwriteyourowndestiny.Youmakeyourownfuture.That’swhatyoungpeoplelikeyouaredoingeveryday,allacrossAmerica.YoungpeoplelikeJazminPerez,fromRoma,Texas.Jazmindidn’tspeakEnglishwhenshefirststartedschool.Neitherofherparentshadgonetocollege.Butsheworkedhard,earnedgoodgrades,andgotascholarshiptoBrownUniversity--isnowingraduateschool,studyingpublichealth,onherwaytobecomingDr.JazminPerez.I’mthinkingaboutAndoniSchultz,fromLosAltos,California,who’sfoughtbraincancersincehewasthree.He’shadtoendure（忍受）

allsortsoftreatmentsandsurgeries,oneofwhichaffectedhismemory,soittookhimmuchlonger--hundredsofextrahours--todohisschoolwork.Butheneverfellbehind.He’sheadedtocollegethisfall.Andthenthere’sShantellSteve,frommyhometownofChicago,Illinois.Evenwhenbouncing（转换）

fromfosterhometofosterhomeinthetoughestneighborhoodsinthecity,shemanagedtogetajobatalocalhealthcarecenter,startaprogramtokeepyoungpeopleoutofgangs,andshe’sontracktograduatehighschoolwithhonorsandgoontocollege.AndJazmin,Andoni,andShantellaren’tanydifferentfromanyofyou.Theyfacechallengesintheirlivesjustlikeyoudo.Insomecasesthey’vegotitalotworseoffthanmanyofyou.Buttheyrefusedtogiveup.Theychosetotakeresponsibilityfortheirlives,fortheireducation,andsetgoalsforthemselves.AndIexpectallofyoutodothesame.That’swhytodayI’mcallingoneachofyoutosetyourowngoalsforyoureducation--anddoeverythingyoucantomeetthem.Yourgoalcanbesomethingassimpleasdoingallyourhomework,payingattentioninclass,orspendingsometimeeachdayreadingabook.Maybeyou’lldecidetogetinvolvedinanextracurricular（课外的）

activity,orvolunteerinyourcommunity.Maybeyou’lldecidetostandupforkidswhoarebeingteased（被嘲弄）

orbullied

（被欺负）becauseofwhotheyareorhowtheylook,becauseyoubelieve,likeIdo,thatallyoungpeopledeserveasafeenvironmenttostudyandlearn.Maybeyou’lldecidetotakebettercareofyourselfsoyoucanbemorereadytolearn.Andalongthoselines,bytheway,Ihopeallofyouarewashingyourhandsalot,andthatyoustayhomefromschoolwhenyoudon’tfeelwell,sowecankeeppeoplefromgettingthefluthisfallandwinter.Butwhateveryouresolve（决定）

todo,Iwantyoutocommittoit（遵从，坚持）.Iwantyoutoreallyworkatit.IknowthatsometimesyougetthatsensefromTVthatyoucanberichandsuccessfulwithoutanyhardwork--thatyourtickettosuccessisthroughrapping（唱rap）

orbasketballorbeingarealityTVstar.Chancesareyou’renotgoingtobeanyofthosethings.Thetruthis,beingsuccessfulishard.Youwon’tloveeverysubjectthatyoustudy.Youwon’tclickwitheveryteacherthatyouhave.Noteveryhomeworkassignmentwillseemcompletelyrelevanttoyourliferightatthisminute.Andyouwon’tnecessarilysucceedateverythingthefirsttimeyoutry.That’sokay.Someofthemostsuccessfulpeopleintheworldaretheoneswho’vehadthemostfailures.J.K.Rowling’s--whowroteHarryPotter--herfirstHarryPotterbookwasrejected12timesbeforeitwasfinallypublished.MichaelJordanwascutfromhishighschoolbasketballteam.Helosthundredsofgamesandmissedthousandsofshotsduringhiscareer.Butheoncesaid,"Ihavefailedoverandoverandoveragaininmylife.Andthat’swhyIsucceed.Thesepeoplesucceededbecausetheyunderstoodthatyoucan’tletyourfailuresdefineyou--youhavetoletyourfailuresteachyou.Youhavetoletthemshowyouwhattododifferentlythenexttime.Soifyougetintotrouble,thatdoesn’tmeanyou’reatroublemaker,itmeansyouneedtotryhardertoactright.Ifyougetabadgrade,thatdoesn’tmeanyou’restupid,itjustmeansyouneedtospendmoretimestudying.Noone’sbornbeinggoodatallthings.Youbecomegoodatthingsthroughhardwork.You’renotavarsityathlete（校队代表）

thefirsttimeyouplayanewsport.Youdon’thiteverynotethefirsttimeyousingasong.You’vegottopractice.Thesameprincipleappliesto（适用于）

yourschoolwork.Youmighthavetodoamathproblemafewtimesbeforeyougetitright.Youmighthavetoreadsomethingafewtimesbeforeyouunderstandit.Youdefinitelyhavetodoafewdraftsofapaper（论文）

beforeit’sgoodenoughtohandin.Don’tbeafraidtoaskquestions.Don’tbeafraidtoaskforhelpwhenyouneedit.Idothateveryday.Askingforhelpisn’tasignofweakness,it’sasignofstrengthbecauseitshowsyouhavethecouragetoadmitwhenyoudon’tknowsomething,andthatthenallowsyoutolearnsomethingnew.Sofindanadultthatyoutrust--aparent,agrandparentorteacher,acoachoracounselor（辅导员）

--andaskthemtohelpyoustayontracktomeetyourgoals.Andevenwhenyou’restruggling,evenwhenyou’rediscouraged,andyoufeellikeotherpeoplehavegivenuponyou,don’tevergiveuponyourself,becausewhenyougiveuponyourself,yougiveuponyourcountry.ThestoryofAmericaisn’taboutpeoplewhoquitwhenthingsgottough.It’saboutpeoplewhokeptgoing,whotriedharder,wholovedtheircountry