White House reaches out to DC's troubled schools: AP

Quoted via Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Growing up in one of this city's roughest neighborhoods, Meggan Thompson never imagined walking into the White House, let alone getting a hug from the first lady.

That all changed when the high-achieving 17-year-old from southeast Washington visited the presidential mansion, where she and dozens of local girls dined in the East Room with Michelle Obama and other accomplished women.

"It was breathtaking," Thompson said. "The marble, all of the pictures, so much history was in that place."

District of Columbia students are a familiar sight at the White House these days. Since Barack Obama became president on Jan. 20, they have been invited to break ground for a new vegetable garden, celebrate Black History month and, in Thompson's case, get a pep talk from the first lady on the importance of working hard to reach their potential. more