The President Gets It!

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In the following video clip, Michelle and President Obama are  introducing an addition to the White House mentoring program in honor of National Mentoring  Month (January). This program was the male side of the already in place program for mentoring young women by White House staff. With an estimated 15 million young people in need of mentoring, it is comforting to hear the President of the United States talking about the power of mentoring. 

The President's father left his family home when he was two years old and he was raised by a single mom. In the clip, he describes the "weight" of his father's absence, and life without him around. I believe that at a personal level, he really does get the importance of having men present in the lives of young males, as he says to, "steer them straight." Men who will, "refuse to give up on them, even when they want to give up on themselves."

I also like how he describes not just the costs under-male-nourished boys experience, but the impact all of us experience, as a country, because of lost boys. The President speaks the truth when he says, it doesn't take much to, "make a big, lasting impact in the life of a young person." This is critical leadership for a movement that, as Michelle says, can make a difference in countless number of lives.

You can check out the serve.gov/mentor website President Obama mentions, or just look around you. I'm pretty sure there is a young guy in your world right now who'd love a little attention from you.

I don't know or care about your political leanings, but I do hope you'll vote with your actions and have a positive interaction with a young male today.

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