First Lady Michelle Obama told students at the Martin Luther King all-girls high school in Dakar, Senegal, that her "experience" growing up was similar to theirs.
"I know that what you all are doing here isn't always easy. I know that some of you may be the first in your families to attend a school like Martin Luther King, so there might be people at home who don't quite understand what you're going through as you work to succeed her," she said, adding, "I know a little bit about this from my own experience," reports
The Weekly Standard.
She continued, "See, like many of you, I didn't grow up in a family with a lot of money. My parents had to work hard every day to support us so they never had the chance to get the kind of education they wanted for themselves. But they had big dreams for me. So they, too, made tremendous sacrifices to make that dream come true."
Obama was speaking on the first leg of the first family's week-long trip to Africa. The president, first lady and their daughters will also visit South Africa and Tanzania.
Reports earlier this month revealed that the trip could cost
as much as $100 million.
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