Obama's Address On Tuesday

Obama made me proud to have him as a president on Tuesday.

If you know me, you know that education is a huge passion of mine.

I am an advocate for High School Drop-out Prevention. I have known about this crisis for a while and saddened that not many people know about this problem. It has been a silent epidemic for so long, and I have been waiting for a president to put a voice to the issue and Obama did just that on Tuesday.

He addressed the importance of education; and when he mentioned the High School Drop-out crisis I was so happy- I can't even describe it. He said "Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not quitting on yourself, its quitting on your country."

I couldn't of said it better!

It is a blessing to have a president who has a great understanding of the Drop-out Crisis. It really affects everyone. 

Here are some facts for you in case you did not know:

- One third of students drop-out each year

- The country loses about $200 billion for each class of drop-outs

- Drop-outs are less likely to vote and participate in the community

- Drop-outs are economically disadvantaged

- Most incarcerated people did not graduate from high school

So I really have my hopes up that Obama will help decrease the number of drop-outs; but one thing is for sure: he can't do it alone.

We need to work together to help keep students in school. 

How?

One way to start is to inform them of the important of a high school degree. How many times were you told the importance of a diploma when you were in high school? And I'm not talking about the "you need to do well in high school so you can go to college."

Students don't know how they will suffer financially is they drop-out. Specially with this economic crisis, jobs are becoming more competitive.

We need to keep our students/children/friends in school- and it is so great to have a president that is behind us, pushing us, to make a positive change.