WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, and Dr. Miguel Cardona, the Secretary of Education, visited Whiteman Elementary and Knob Noster High School April 13, 2022, as part of a celebration of the Month of the Military Child.
Biden and Cardona visited a preschool class and spoke with a panel of students of all ages involved in the Student 2 Student peer mentorship program while at the elementary.
The panel consisted of seven students and the Student 2 Student counselor, who each told the Secretary and the First Lady about their experiences in the program and their connection – or lack thereof – to the military and how it’s affected their school years.
Next, they traveled by motorcade to Knob Noster High School, where they each spoke to all of the students assembled in the gymnasium.
“The lives of military students may not be defined by the edges of a hometown,” Biden said in her speech. “Your school journey may look different than the ones we see in movies. But that’s what makes you unique. The lessons you’ve learned have made you strong, wise, kind, and courageous.”
After speaking at the high school, the two departed from Whiteman Air Force Base.