Miami Central High School
Miami, Florida

3:39 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  What’s up, Rockets?  How are you?  (Applause.)  Well, thank you.  It is great to see all of you.  I am thrilled to be here at Miami Central.  That’s all right, I’m excited, too.

Listen, I just want to — (applause) — thank you.  I’m not going to give a long speech here because I’m going to give a long speech in the gymnasium.  But since we couldn’t seat everybody in there, I wanted to make sure that I came by and just said to all of you how very proud we are of the work that you guys have been doing. 

You know, just a few years ago, this school was really in trouble.  And a lot of young people, they were seeing their futures slip away because they were dropping out, they weren’t focused.  And the turnaround that’s been accomplished here is the reason that I wanted to come here, because what you guys are doing is not only helping to shape your future and ensuring your long-term success, but what it’s also doing is it’s sending a message to kids all across the country that there’s nothing we can’t accomplish when we put our minds to it.

So my main message to all of you is going to be, I need you to keep on working hard.  I need you to keep on taking pride in your school.  I need you guys to keep on listening to your teachers and working hard.  If you do, I’m confident you’re going to be successful.  And you will continue to be role models for young people who are coming up here in Miami-Dade, but also young people all across the country.

All right?  So thank you, guys.  I appreciate you.  I love you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

END
3:41 P.M. EST