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SALT LAKE CITY -- Students in Utah and across the country listened to a back- to-school address today from President Obama.
He urged students to pursue a higher education after high school, telling them the country needs their help to get back on its feet.
"Whether we fall behind or race ahead in the coming years as a nation is up to you," he said.
That message resonated with students in Ms. Pulley's 5th grade class at Escalante Elementary in Salt Lake City. They listened to the President's speech and then had a class discussion.
"When you are done with high school it doesn't mean that you are done learning," said one student."
"We control our destiny," said another.
He spoke at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, a magnet school designed to provide a rigorous academic background that prepares student for college.
Obama encouraged the students to continue their education after high school. Calling them "young, leaders" the president said whether the U.S. falls behind other countries or races ahead will depend in large part on them.
Obama also confessed that he wasn't always the best student and didn't love every class he took. But he said if he had "just tuned out because the class sounded boring," he might have missed something that he'd ended up enjoying and would be useful later in life.
Where Utah stands
Utah ranks in the middle for high school graduation with a rate of 79.4 percent.
But we are among the top ten states for students getting associate degrees.
However, only 51.5 percent of students in Utah who start a bachelor's degree program actually finish.
Written with contributions from the Associated Press
