Remarks by the First Lady at the 2024 Girls Leading Change Celebration

[As prepared for delivery.]

As we come together today, our hearts are breaking for the communities upended by yet another devastating hurricane.

Families waiting for news of loved ones, of homes, of the places where their kids took their first steps, where they got married, where they built their lives.

Maybe some of you know someone who's been in the path of one of these storms.

We grieve with you. And we stand with you. President Biden and Vice President Harris are making sure the affected areas have every resource they need.

Welcome to the White House!

I'm grateful to Congresswoman McIver for joining us to honor these girls.

And we have some of the incredible girls from our first group of honorees with us. Thank you for coming back and supporting this year's class.

Today, we say proudly, for all to hear, that girls are powerful. And that no one is too young to lead.

Last year, I worked with the White House Gender Policy Council to create this event—to honor you, the next generation creating change right now.

Our world isn't always kind.

And when you're young—in middle school hallways and at high school lunch tables—it can feel like life is happening to you, like people are telling you what to think and who to be.

Don't let them.

Each of you has a way of seeing life that no one else does—a perspective you add to every conversation, to every choice you make. And every time you show up as your true self—with your boldness, with your insight, with your questions—you shape our world.

That's what this years' honorees did. They didn't wait for life to happen to them. They stepped forward—spent their weekends and hours after school to make our world kinder, fairer, and filled with more possibility.

You show us that girls can do anything, can be leaders and scientists, writers and entrepreneurs, advocates for change, and, of course, president!

I teach writing and English at a community college not far from here.

At the end of the school year, teachers hope our students feel changed. I know I do. But what you might not know is that you—all of you—you change your teachers too. My students' perspectives challenge me and shape me.

To the young girls in the audience, that's true in your classrooms too. The conversations you have stay with your teachers and classmates long after the bell rings or summer break begins.

You're already changing the world, even though you might not realize it.

Every time you tell us who you are, with the words you write, with the hours you dedicate to something you believe in.

When you accept someone else for being themselves.

When you're not afraid to follow your curiosity and share what you've learned.

It isn't always easy, but it's important.

And that bravery is what we need in the face of our, at times, unkind world. It's how we unlock new ideas, come up with innovations that might seem impossible to someone else.

The earth is brighter because of you. Keep filling it with your ideas and your hard work, leading us toward the future you want to see.

Thank you.

***

Thank you all for the important work you're doing. You're already leading the next generation forward. Can we get another round of applause for our honorees?

And Karine, I'm grateful to you for taking the time to join us today.

To the middle-schoolers in the audience, to all the girls leading change, there's something I want to point out to you.

It's the people in this room.

They're leaders of non-profits and tech companies. Military families and public servants. Elected officials from across the country. And they're girls, just like you.

They're all here for you. To support you.

They believe in you. And so do I. And so do your President and Vice President.

Hold on to that unique perspective you have. And as you look to the future, know that you will never be alone. This community will be right there beside you.

There's power when we come together.

A power to hold each other up, even when we want to crumble, to heal one another, to share our inner strength. To create lasting change.

So, if you've ever wondered, "Can I—one person, one girl—can I make a difference?"

Standing here, among all these incredible women and girls, we have an answer: Yes, you can!

Let this community be a light we all carry inside us for the days to come, connecting us across generations, so the confidence of girlhood can become the courage of womanhood.

Now, please enjoy the reception.