Students entice Michelle Obama to speak at UC Merced

UC Merced students (left to right) Efferman Ezell, Yaasha Sabba and Sam Fong spearheaded a successful campaign to get Michelle Obama to speak at the Class of 2009 graduation ceremony.

A student campaign to invite Michelle Obama to speak at UC Merced's commencement paid off.

The first lady has agreed to be the keynote speaker at the May 16 ceremony, which will celebrate the first full graduating class at the 4-year-old campus. About 500 students are expected to participate in the outdoor commencement exercises. UC President Mark Yudof and UC regents will attend.

"This is a coup for UC Merced’s first full graduating class," said senior Yaasha Sabba, who is president of the Associated Students of UC Merced and one of the campaign organizers. "Mrs. Obama has validated the efforts and ambitions of our student body."

Students launched a spirited campaign to lure the first lady to Merced. Sabba and other students organized a letter-writing campaign on Facebook. UC Merced students sent more than 900 hand-written valentines to the first lady as well as letters from friends, family members and other supporters. The students also wrote to Charles Ogletree, a Merced native who mentored both President and Michelle Obama while they attended Harvard.

Another tactic was a YouTube video titled "We Believe in Michelle Obama." The inspirational video begins with the words "We believe in the American Dream." Students then take turns completing the sentence "I believe in …" with words such as honesty, independence, achievement, diversity and peace. It concludes with "Dear Michelle Obama we believe in you, and we would be honored for you to be our keynote speaker…."

The first lady was touched and wanted to recognize the students' leadership, her press secretary told the Associated Press after Obama accepted the invitation.

So far, UC Merced is the only university lucky to have the first lady as a commencement speaker. The only other announced graduation event where she will speak is at Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter High School in the District of Columbia on June 3.

UC Merced commencement is free, but all guests will require a ticket. Preference is given to graduates and their families.