Notes

President Barack Obama spoke about the rise in graduation rates during a visit to Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C., on Monday morning. While there, he encouraged students to continue their education beyond high school, and to take advantage of federal aid programs that provide students with money for college. “We all have a part to play in making sure every child has every single opportunity to achieve his or her dreams,” Obama said.

According to Trey Walk, financial aid played a key role in enabling him to attend college. In his e-mail, Walk wrote that when he was looking at colleges, his teachers encouraged him to apply to his dream schools. With the help of financial aid, he said, he is able to study at a top school without worrying about its costs. “I plan to devote my career to public service,” he wrote, “so I can work to keep improving our education system.”