Michelle Obama Talks Confidence, Her Mentoring Program And Overcoming Personal Struggles

We know Michelle Obama as FLOTUS -- a Princeton graduate who dazzles in Jason Wu, a health advocate who recently broke a jumping jack record and a woman whose speech is as eloquent as it is inspiring. But to a group of 20 teenage girls who are part of a White House mentoring program, she just wants to be known as Michelle.

In the February issue of MORE magazine, Tamara Jones goes behind the scenes with the First Lady as she explains her mentoring program. Jones highlights Mrs. Obama's enviable confidence ("it somehow arrives on the scene seconds before she does"), and discovers it hasn't always been that way. As a working-class black student in a privileged, white environment, she doubted herself. Now, through this program that she's managed to keep out of the spotlight, she wants to help girls from the "middle" (neither honor roll nor high-risk kids) overcome their fears the way she did.

Her project pairs teenage girls with senior leaders in President Obama's administration. As Mrs. Obama says "they all have a story, right? They all have a set of challenges and struggles." And she believes those stories are best told face to face.

Confidence, and the idea of "paying it forward" is what Mrs. Obama wants girls, and her two "prime mentees" -- Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, to walk away with. At the end of the day, "they will feel good about themselves. They will know that they've breathed in some of the most rarefied air, and it felt normal to them. They know that if you can do this, then there isn't anything you can't do... There isn't any room you can't walk into," she says.

Mentoring is a personal passion of hers, and is one she hopes to pass on to her daughters. "This is the first year that my oldest daughter has branched out into service on her own, seeking out opportunities," Obama says. "And like me, she loves working with kids."

Comments

[Jason-Mantor Match Me]

06:27 AM on 02/08/2012

Great read, I think its very important that mentoring is involved to people at a young age, as all people need confidence to get them through life. Who ever it's off.

[loeska]

02:11 AM on 01/24/2012

I'm truly shocked by that many disdainful, not to say hateful, comments on these
pages.

I've said it before and I'll like to say it again: Michelle Obama will be remembered
as an outstanding First Lady long after most of us are forgotten.

[loeska]

02:00 AM on 01/24/2012

These pages are strangely and shockingly filled with an irrational disdain and hatred
towards both the vivacious Michelle and her dignified President husband.

Aren't many of the comments beneath the standard The Huffington Post? A paper which,
by the way, I like very much.

[1southernbelle]

10:37 PM on 01/21/2012

Yet another reason I am so proud and happy to support President and Mrs. Obama!

[cox3662]

03:19 PM on 01/20/2012

At least for me, Obama's Presidency has shown us how deep the hatred for African Americans in this country is. Its as bad as 1960's. African American are tolerated not excepted as equals. It has gotten worse since he's been in office. A few years ago Don Amus was blasted for the "nappy headed hoes" comment, today that's a regular days work on Fox News.

[mfcarrandi]

10:59 PM on 01/20/2012

BTW in all fairness, did you read Mrs Obama's Thesis? Check with Princeton University, who refused to release it during the 2008 elections. You will know why

[FDRbyGodDemocrat]

04:27 PM on 01/23/2012

I did. Nothing controversial there, unless you really want to mis-read it.

[lwainscot]

07:16 PM on 01/21/2012

I disagree with you. First of all, Obama is not African American.....he is mixed, his mother was white. So that isn't the reason. Perhaps people dislike Obama because he's disgraced us by bowing to foreign leaders, apologized for the USA, and basically does not act like a leader. To top that off, he is on television every day, more than any other president in history, and he loves hearing himself say the same thing over and over. He promised the people change, and what we got was a free spending president, who seems to think throwing money at problems will make them go away, with no thought as to how the debt is going to get paid off. No need to, because that will be some other administration's problem. I didn't like him, when he was an Illinois Senator, because he did nothing of any consequence. So please, don't blame people's dislike of the man on his mixed ethnic origin, because that has little to nothing to do with it. Simply put, he just is not a very good leader, and hopefully one term will be all we have to put up with him.

[sydneymoon]

09:10 AM on 01/22/2012

Obama has always been candid about his mixed race. Most of his life experience has been as a black man. His pov too has been based, in part, how others identify him. Most view him as black because of his skin color.
Why is it so important that he label himself by your standards? If he continually said as much, people would accuse him of trying to play to white people. He can't seem to win.

[cox3662]

02:53 PM on 01/20/2012

Some white Americans hate to have the " Race Card" played and behind close doors they live the other in of the race card. Racism! This is why its so offensive to them when someone else brings it up. If we didn't have racism in this country it wouldn't be a "Race Card" to play. Try going to your bank that you've been a part of for 20 years and having your Id checked three time in one visit, or even better than that, try going to the bank and taking 40 minutes to get your own money in a cashiers check.

[mfcarrandi]

10:53 PM on 01/20/2012

who elected the first black american President, african americans?

[lwainscot]

07:26 PM on 01/21/2012

Democrats! They come in all colors, creeds, ethnic origins and religions. So that can't be why Americans dislike Obama.

[avacat]

07:28 PM on 01/22/2012

Another victim of a failed culture that has seen so much crime and violence, mostly against it's own,that good people are painted with the same brush.. It is indeed, a disgrace. But it won't change until the culture changes..what a shame and a waste!

[avacat]

10:37 AM on 01/20/2012

A handful of lucky girls being mentored, will never make up for her avoidance of the crisis among teenage girls in the AfAm community.. She has turned her back on the elephant in the room, it is shameful.

[Stu-pendous]

06:09 PM on 01/20/2012

She can't save the world! But, as an individual she is doing her part of making a difference in the life of another. What are you doing to mentor the youth?

[lwainscot]

07:27 PM on 01/21/2012

A mother's job is to teach her children how to get along in this world. Why do they need to be mentored by staff members if she's doing her real job?

[Coffee4Me]

03:24 AM on 01/20/2012

In a world dominated by Snooki, Teen Mom, and Toddler and Tiara episodes, Mrs.O reminds me what a role model looks like.

[HELLRAISER81]

02:52 AM on 01/20/2012

GCM

[luz123]

09:30 PM on 01/19/2012

Imagine what she could have done for these girls if she used the millions she spends on vacations outside the USA to help them instead.. 4 million for the last Hawaii vacation...

[You are so wrong]

10:05 PM on 01/19/2012

You are so silly. She is rich fool and she can do what she wants with her money. Their family lives in Hawaii so you are jealous. Get off the computer, go to school, get a good job, save your money and you can go too.

[lwainscot]

07:29 PM on 01/21/2012

I guarantee the family is not spending her money taking AF1 on joyrides. He supposedly was born in Hawaii, but they have to rent a place to stay while they are there. So much for the family theory

[jstanavgguy]

08:08 PM on 01/21/2012

Actually, the family lives in Chicago.

he was a senator from Illinois.

He has not lived in Hawaii for over about 30 years.

[You are so wrong]

10:11 PM on 01/19/2012

Hawaii is in the US!! It's their families home. Get a grip. Blacks take vacations too.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:41 PM on 01/19/2012

The Obamas do not have a family home in Hawaii. Why LIE - YasW?

2010 vacation in Hawaii = $1.5 Million

2011 vacation in Hawaii = $4 Million

[KKS278]

11:15 AM on 01/20/2012

You are so wrong for bringing up the race card! Idiot!

[luz123]

09:26 PM on 01/19/2012

I have several names I call her, Michele isn't one of them

[Mr Anonymous]

10:09 PM on 01/19/2012

Yeah, because why would someone show respect for the First Lady of the United States?

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:45 PM on 01/19/2012

Michelle Obama does not respect the position of FLOTUS.

Otherwise, she would not be taking SECRET trips - on the backs of the US taxpayers.

[lwainscot]

07:34 PM on 01/21/2012

So musch is wrong with the first family, and their past. There's Rev. Wright (talk about the race card), attending his church, but not realizing he hates whites? Were Barrack and Michelle sleeping in church, not there, or just trying to make it look like they were good church going people. Then there was not allowing prayer, until it was the Muslim Holy days, where prayer was allowed. Hmmmmm. Just too many contradictions for something to not be wrong!

[You are so wrong]

12:11 PM on 01/20/2012

Other countries think people like you representing the attitude and disrespect of the first lady of this land is just ridiculous. But, some like you get all giddy over the Royal family coming here as it there is such a thing as royal blood. Go see Red Tails and see how many lies you have been fed all your life. I dare you!!

[scandaliciousreserve]

08:21 PM on 01/19/2012

First we heard of this "mentoring" program.

[You are so wrong]

10:05 PM on 01/19/2012

Read more often.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:28 PM on 01/19/2012

You have a link to prove it - prior to this article about it?

[You are so wrong]

10:10 PM on 01/19/2012

No, first YOU heard about anything. Go read something, go to school and maybe you might become a decent human being like the first lady with a lot of work.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:42 PM on 01/19/2012

she still needs a lot of work - Big Butt w the Carbon Footprint of Big Foot.

[scandaliciousreserve]

08:19 PM on 01/19/2012

The photograph on the cover of that magazine - is so air-brushed, it does not even look like her. It seems more as if it could be someone related to her.

[JocasseeJo]

08:39 PM on 01/19/2012

Yeah - where's that "wad of chew" she always keeps in her lower gum?

[luz123]

09:39 PM on 01/19/2012

rotflmao! good one!!

[You are so wrong]

10:06 PM on 01/19/2012

And all the other magazines of everyone else isn't. Just say you hate black women and get over yourself.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:29 PM on 01/19/2012

hey fool, I am Black, you Nutball.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:30 PM on 01/19/2012

@ You are so Wrong:

Here is something you might find interesting - and helpful:

http://www.runawayslavemovie.com/site/

[weaverking]

07:56 PM on 01/19/2012

I am so sick of the great obamas all the media sells us this crap , they suck! and they are the worst we have ever had in the whitehouse , feed us this crap but not all of the people believe the trash you media types push.

[Mr Anonymous]

10:14 PM on 01/19/2012

You mean tolerance and not being r@(ist?

[weaverking]

05:50 PM on 01/20/2012

why does the left always have to use the race card ? its weak and guess what not everyone loves obama , its not a race issue so dont play that wore out weak excuse for this failure of a president .

[lwainscot]

07:43 PM on 01/21/2012

No kidding! Is the country in any better shape than it was 4 years ago? No! So where is all this change he promised the sheep? We're a lot further in debt, we've lost more jobs, and the ones we do have are all low income service type obs with no benefits. The government is hiring lots of part time workers to get them off the unemployment rolls, but again, no benefits....and he acts more like a dictator, than a president. Trying to tell us this crappy Obamacare is better than private healthcare, guaranteeing medical services even to illegal aliens and foreigners, with no cost to them. We've had a lot of poor presidents in my lifetime, but I have to say, this one really takes the trophy on being the worst! Oh, just my opinion folks, and remember, like it or not, we are all entitled to speak our minds....at least for now!

[JocasseeJo]

07:49 PM on 01/19/2012

"this program that she's managed to keep out of the spotlight'!!!! PREEZE - it ain't real unless it's publicized is it , Michelle?

[scandaliciousreserve]

08:20 PM on 01/19/2012

like her organic garden - that does not exist.

[You are so wrong]

10:06 PM on 01/19/2012

Google it stupid... Did you go to DC?

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:32 PM on 01/19/2012

while you are googling - check out the articles about the "organic" garden - being built on top of sludge; the chef who purchases food items for the White House; and how the photo-ops w children in the garden was set up by propmasters.