Michelle Obama Gives Powerful Speech at Annual College Signing Day

As high school students around the country get ready to make their final college selections, Michelle Obama was ready to celebrate their accomplishments and cheer them on at the third annual National College Signing Day event at New York City's Harlem Armory.

As FLOTUS—the event's host—popped up on stage in a Princeton T-shirt, she gave a moving speech to more than 4,000 New York high school students, before introducing speakers including Melissa McCarthy, Tracee Ellis Ross and Robert De Niro, who spoke about their college experiences, according to WABC-TV.

"Completing your education past high school is the most important thing you can do to reach your dreams," Obama told the crowd of cheering students. "That's why we're here. So, while you all might be in awe of us, we are in awe of you, because we know how much work it took you to get to this point."

In addition to hosting the event, Obama posted several photos on Instagram and encouraged others to show their collegiate school spirit as well. "Happy #CollegeSigningDay! Wear your college gear with pride and show us how you #ReachHigher," she captioned a photo, which showed her standing with a group of people in college T-shirts.

She also shared a collage of herself, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and his wife Jill Biden all wearing their university tees.

College Signing Day is a part of Obama's Reach Higher initiative, which is geared towards inspiring young people to pursue higher education. The day celebrates high school seniors who have chosen to attend a professional training program, community college, or four-year college or university after high school graduation.