U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is set to visit Oxford next Wednesday. She will come to Christ Church College to talk to girls from a North London comprehensive about going to university.
The White House yesterday announced that Mrs Obama would make her trip to the University as part of her continuing “commitment to engage young people around the world, support educational opportunity and promote youth mentoring”.
Christopher Lewis, Dean of Christ Church, sent an email to students informing them that Mrs Obama would be “at Christ Church during the afternoon to speak to some girls from a London school about their aspirations in general and their hopes for their university education in particular”.
Revd Lewis warned that the event would cause “disruption” and “restrictions on movement in the Tom Quad area”, but urged students to see that it will be “of benefit” to the College and University as a whole.
The lucky 35 students all come from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, a language college for girls in Islington. They will have a day-long university “immersion experience”, involving tours, career discussions and talks with Oxford students, before attending a question and answer session with Mrs Obama. The aim is to encourage the girls to pursue higher education.
One third-year English student at Christ Church, said, “I’m so excited about Michelle Obama’s visit to Christ Church, this has made my finals revision this week pale into insignificance!”
University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, said, “We look forward immensely to welcoming the First Lady to the University and to sharing with her and the EGA students something of what makes Oxford and the education it offers so special.
“We are determined to make that education available to the brightest students from all backgrounds, and our outreach programme comprises 1500 events every year, from days like this one to residential summer schools.
“A deep commitment to the transformative potential of education lies at the heart of Oxford’s mission as a world-leading place of learning.”
The First Lady will arrive with her husband in London on Tuesday for a three day trip which will also see the couple stay with the Queen in Buckingham Palace. Security has been stepped up for the event, amid fears of a retaliatory terrorist attack in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s
