Through Candid Edwards
December 13, 2025
The campaign started during a student association meeting.
Graduating seniors from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School launched a social media campaign to convince former first lady Michelle Obama to speak at their 2026 commencement.
Student efforts prompted the personal response from the eternal First Lady, according to published reports.
The campaign started during a student association meeting. It evolved into a series of videos that were shared on social platforms and attracted millions of views. SGA Vice President Noah said he and his classmates iinspired after watching Obama’s Netflix documentary Become and seeing her emphasis on youth voices.
‘I had seen her documentary Become on Netflix and, you know, we grew up with her – she was a great speaker, she really highlighted the voices of young people, and I just thought she would be a great speaker, and we would be honored to have her at BCC,” he shared. NBCWashington.
Obama responded to the campaign by commenting on one of the videos. She offered encouragement and indicated that her team had contacted the school to make arrangements for the class of 2026.
“I am so moved by your videos. It is an honor for you and so many others in your generation who can get done through the power of organizing that I was able to see them. My team is in contact with your school and we are working on something special. In the meantime, I want to hear more from you. What gives you the hope to post your videos and tag me? I can’t wait to hear from you.”
Noah said Obama’s recognition of their campaign has given students confidence.
“I think what gives me hope is the fact that Mrs. Obama heard what we said and reached out to us. And that really shows that when we care about something and try hard and persevere in something, our voices can have an impact and make a difference,” he told the newspaper.
It remains uncertain whether Obama will ultimately agree to give the graduation speech, but school leaders say discussions are ongoing.
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