THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Hello!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  Well, hello, Philadelphia!  (Applause.)  And hello, Masterman.  It is wonderful to see all of you.  What a terrific introduction by Kelly.  Give Kelly a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  I was saying backstage that when I was in high school, I could not have done that.  (Laughter.)  I would have muffed（弄糟） it up somehow.  So we are so proud of you and everything that you’ve done.  And to all the students here, I’m thrilled to be here.

We’ve got a couple introductions I want to make.  First of all, you’ve got the outstanding governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, in the house.  (Applause.)  The mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter¹, is here.  (Applause.)  Congressman² Chaka Fattah is here.  (Applause.)  Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz is here.  (Applause.)  Your own principal, Marge Neff, is here.  (Applause.)  The school superintendent³, Arlene Ackerman, is here and doing a great job.  (Applause.)  And the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is here.  (Applause.)

And I am here.  (Applause.)  And I am thrilled to be here.  I am just so excited.  I’ve heard such great things about what all of you are doing, both the students and the teachers and the staff here.

Today is about welcoming all of you, and all of America’s students, back to school, even though I know you’ve been in school for a little bit now.  And I can’t think of a better place to do it than at Masterman.   (Applause.)  Because you are one of the best schools in Philadelphia.  You are a leader in helping⁴ students succeed in the classroom.  Just last week, you were recognized by a National Blue Ribbon -- as a National Blue Ribbon School because of your record of achievement.  And that is a testament⁵ to everybody here –- to the students, to the parents, to the teachers, to the school leaders.  It’s an example of excellence⁶ that I hope communities across America can embrace.

Over the past few weeks, Michelle and I have been getting Sasha and Malia ready for school.  And they’re excited about it.  I’ll bet they had the same feelings that you do -- you’re a little sad to see the summer go, but you’re also excited about the possibilities of a new year.  The possibilities of building new friendships and strengthening old ones, of joining a school club, or trying out for a team.  The possibilities of growing into a better student and a better person and making not just your family proud but making yourself proud.

But I know some of you may also be a little nervous about starting a new school year.  Maybe you’re making the jump from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school, and you’re worried about what that’s going to be like.  Maybe you’re starting a new school.  You’re not sure how you’ll like it, trying to figure out how you’re going to fit in.  Or maybe you’re a senior, and you’re anxious about the whole college process; about where to apply and whether you can afford to go to college.

And beyond all those concerns, I know a lot of you are also feeling the strain of some difficult times.  You know what’s going on in the news and you also know what’s going on in some of your own families.  You’ve read about the war in Afghanistan.  You hear about the recession that we’ve been through.  And sometimes maybe you’re seeing the worries in your parents’ faces or sense it in their voice.

So a lot of you as a consequence, because we’re going through a tough time a country, are having to act a lot older than you are.  You got to be strong for your family while your brother or sister is serving overseas, or you’ve got to look after younger siblings⁷（兄弟姐妹） while your mom is working that second shift.  Or maybe some of you who are little bit older, you’re taking on a part-time job while your dad’s out of work（失业） .

And that’s a lot to handle.  It’s more than you should have to handle.  And it may make you wonder at times what your own future will look like, whether you’re going to be able to succeed in school, whether you should maybe set your sights a little lower, scale back（相应缩减） your dreams.

But I came to Masterman to tell all of you what I think you’re hearing from your principal and your superintendent, and from your parents and your teachers:  Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.  Your future is in your hands.  Your life is what you make of it.  And nothing -- absolutely nothing -- is beyond your reach, so long as you’re willing to dream big, so long as you’re willing to work hard.  So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education, there is not a single thing that any of you cannot accomplish, not a single thing.  I believe that.

And that last part is absolutely essential, that part about really working hard in school, because an education has never been more important than it is today.  I’m sure there are going to be times in the months ahead when you’re staying up late doing your homework or cramming⁸ for a test, or you’re dragging yourself out of bed on a rainy morning and you’re thinking, oh, boy, I wish maybe it was a snow day.  (Laughter.)

But let me tell you, what you’re doing is worth it.  There is nothing more important than what you’re doing right now.  Nothing is going to have as great an impact on your success in life as your education, how you’re doing in school.

More and more, the kinds of opportunities that are open to you are going to be determined⁹ by how far you go in school.  The farther you go in school, the farther you’re going to go in life.  And at a time when other countries are competing with us like never before, when students around the world in Beijing, China, or Bangalore, India, are working harder than ever, and doing better than ever, your success in school is not just going to determine your success, it’s going to determine America’s success in the 21st century.