"My greatest honour": Michelle Obama gives final speech as First Lady

                                                    

We’re creeping closer and closer to the end of an era: now,
Michelle Obama has bid an early farewell to the White House in her final speech
as First Lady. Spoiler alert: it’s going to hit you right in the feels.

An East Room ceremony honouring the 2017 school counsellor
of the year, and the work of all school counsellors, marked her final event as
first lady.

She touched upon many of the issues that she was worked
closely on during her tenure as First Lady. She urged children to get the best
education they can and then use it to “lead by example with hope, never fear”.

The First Lady also praised the “glorious diversity” of
people of all faiths, colours and creeds in America as “not a threat to who we
are” but as what “makes us who we are”. The comment seemed a rebuke of
President-elect Donald Trump, who criticised Mexicans, Muslims and others
throughout his presidential campaign.

             

“To the young people out there, do not ever let anyone make
you feel like you don’t matter or like you don’t have a place in our American
story, because you do,” Ms Obama said. “And you have a right to be exactly who
you are.”

She urged them to get ready to add their voices to the
national conversation and “stand up for our proud American values”.

“Being your First Lady has been the greatest honour of my
life, and I hope I’ve made you proud,” Ms Obama said.