Forever First Lady Michelle Obama recently posted the most precious photo of herself as a young freshman at Princeton University.

This is me at Princeton in the early 1980s. I know that being a first-generation college student can be scary, because it was scary for me. I was black and from a working-class neighborhood in Chicago, while Princeton’s student body was generally white and well-to-do. I’d never stood out in a crowd or a classroom because of the color of my skin before. But I found close friends and a mentor who gave me the confidence to be myself. Going to college is hard work, but every day I meet people whose lives have been profoundly changed by education, just as mine was. My advice to students is to be brave and stay with it. Congratulations to the Class of 2018! #ReachHigher
A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on May 22, 2018 at 2:09pm PDT

Along with the post was an endearing caption where Obama reflected on her time as one of the few black students at Princeton University, and a heartfelt note for 2018 graduates.

“This is me at Princeton in the early 1980s,” Obama began. “I know that being a first-generation college student can be scary, because it was scary for me. I was black and from a working class neighborhood in Chicago, while Princeton’s student body was generally white and well-to-do. I’d never stood out in a crowd or a classroom because of the color of my skin before. But I found close friends and a mentor who gave me the confidence to be myself. Going to college is hard work, but every day I meet people whose lives have been profoundly changed by education, just as mine was. My advice to students is to be brave and stay with it. Congratulations to the Class of 2018! #ReachHigher”

This photo is one in a series of throwbacks Obama has been releasing on Instagram in preparation for her first memoir, “Becoming,” which will be available Nov. 13.

“Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some photos and memories from my book, BECOMING,” Obama her announcement post. “My father, Fraser, taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother, Marian, showed me how to think for myself and to use my voice. Together, in our cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago, my family helped me see the value in our story, in my story, and in the larger story of our country.”

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some photos and memories from my book, BECOMING. My father, Fraser, taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother, Marian, showed me how to think for myself and to use my voice. Together, in our cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago, my family helped me see the value in our story, in my story, and in the larger story of our country.
A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on May 22, 2018 at 6:46am PDT

First Lady Michelle

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