Obama in Philadelphia: don’t scale back your dreams

The President encouraged students at Masterman magnet school to be proud of their classmates who succeed instead of being jealous.

President Obama delivered his back-to-school speech Tuesday to an auditorium packed with hundreds of Philadelphia students. The President visited Masterman, at 17th and Spring Garden Streets, a public magnet school that’s gained attention as one of the top schools in the state.

When President Obama stepped on stage the scene wasn’t far from a Justin Bieber concert: screaming kids snapped photos and grinned through their braces and acne.

But President Obama didn’t pretend the Masterman students, and others watching from afar, were unaware of the serious challenges facing the country. He talked about how some had to be strong while a sibling served overseas, or had to take on a part-time job while a parent was out of work.

“It may make you wonder at times what your own future may look like – if you’re going to be able to succeed in school, whether you should maybe set your sights a little lower, scale back your dreams, but I came to Masterman to tell all of you what I think you’re hearing from your principal and your Superintendent and from your parents and from your teachers, nobody gets to write your destiny but you! Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it.”

President Obama told the students not to feel threatened, but proud, if their friends score better then them on a test or paper.