AP Photo/Christian K LeeMichelle Obama recalled her past in order to inspire a present group of students at Martin Luther King Jr. Preparatory High School's graduation ceremony.
While addressing the graduates Tuesday, FLOTUS talked about her life growing up in Chicago's South Side, where she and many others faced dangers such as drugs, gangs and violence. She said she could understand what they had overcome because she had gotten through it herself.
"I know the struggles many of you face: how you walk the long way home to avoid the gangs; how you fight to concentrate on your schoolwork when there's too much noise at home; how you keep it together when your family's having a hard time making ends meet," she told the students.
But instead of letting the hardships bring them down, she urged the students to use what they've been through, including the loss of classmate Hadiya Pendleton in 2013, as a source of inspiration and motivation for their future endeavors. To say it got emotional would be putting it lightly.
"So, yes, maybe you've been tested a lot more and a lot earlier in life than many other young people. Maybe you have more scars than they do. Maybe you have days when you feel more tired than someone your age should ever really feel."
Pendleton, who was killed only days after performing at President Barack Obama's inauguration with the school's band, brought nationwide attention to the issue of gun violence in Chicago. In the years since, the 15-year-old has not been forgotten, and students even decorated a chair for her at the commencement ceremony.
"Graduates, tonight, I want you to understand that every scar that you have is a reminder not just that you got hurt, but that you survived," Michelle said.
"And as painful as they are, those holes we all have in our hearts are what truly connect us to each other," she continued. "They are the spaces we can make for other people's sorrow and pain, as well as their joy and their love so that eventually, instead of feeling empty, our hearts feel even bigger and fuller."
"So it's OK to feel the sadness and the grief that comes with those losses. But instead of letting those feelings defeat you, let them motivate you. Let them serve as fuel for your journey."
The First Lady also spoke to the students about her first days at Princeton University, where she said she felt "anxious" and "insecure" and felt like she didn't fit in. But after reaching out for help whenever she needed it, she realized she belonged just as much as anyone else did.
"If you understand that getting help isn't a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, then I guarantee you that you will get what you need to succeed," she said.