By Aria Ellise
President of the United States. POTUS, President Obama. Leader of the free world…Whatever you want to call him, it’s clear President Obama has a number of different titles, but the one he’s most proud of is: Dad.
In his final year in office, the President is preparing himself for his eldest daughter’s high school graduation, but he’s aware his emotions will get the best of him when he sees Malia Obama walk across the stage to receive her diploma.
ABC News reports the president opened up about his daughter’s impending commencement during lunch at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery in Detroit on Wednesday. Obama was in town to attend the North American Auto Show at Cobo Center.
As you would think, any school that has the President’s daughter would be asking him to speak at the graduation, right? Right. But as it turns out, Obama was actually given the opportunity to speak at the 17-year-old’s ceremony, but he turned it down because he’ll be too busy crying.
ABC News reports:
“Malia’s school asked if I wanted to speak at commencement and I said no,” the president said. “I’m going to be wearing dark glasses … and I’m going to cry.”
Malia is currently in her senior year at the prestigious Sidwell Friends School in Washington.
Just last year in September of 2015, President Obama had a moment with Malia that he shared with the press:
“Just yesterday, Malia started her first day of senior year. You know, I was sitting in her room because I was going to see her off her first day of school. She puts her head on my shoulder and she says, ‘Daddy, you know, you realize this is probably going to be the last time that you ever send me off for my first day of school,’” Obama told the audience.
“I had to look away. I didn’t want to just be such a crybaby. It makes no sense. Michelle and I are way too young to have daughters who are both almost in college now. So as a parent, I was a little freaked out,” he said, pretending to wipe away a tear.
It’s unclear what Malia will study once she goes to college, but the soon-to-be college student has interned on the set of HBO’s Girls and Halle Berry’s drama Extant, both of which showcase her interest in TV and film.
“The truth is the girls are wonderful,” Obama said. “You know they work hard, they work a lot harder than I ever did when I was a kid.”
Here’s to Malia and the entire first family. Much love and success!
Article courtesy of BlackDoctor.org.
