DENVER -
The first lady is the last person they ever expected at South High School.
"We were told we get to meet her. So it's going to be very spectacular," says student Michael Streno. He, and about a dozen other students, spent their Sunday preparing welcome signs for Michelle Obama.
Streno is one of just 30 students who'll get to speak to Obama about education Monday afternoon.
Each student had to come up with five questions to ask Obama during a discussion in the school's library.
But about 80 girls from across Colorado will get to have lunch with Obama at the governor's mansion a couple of hours before that.
The first lady is visiting Denver to promote the White House leadership and mentoring initiative.
She hopes to push the program nationally. Colorado is her first stop after she launched the program earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
Dozens of local accomplished ladies will join Obama in visiting 11 high schools after the luncheon. The program's goal is to put students together with these women who can be their mentors.
"It's great to see folks in the community say, 'The sky's the limit. You can achieve this. Keep your goals in front of you and it's possible," says Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter.
Ritter says mentoring programs not only motivate young people to do better in school, it improves their self-esteem and gives them a positive support system. She says she's happy to help spread the word.
While students like freshman Anne Marie Ndihokubwyo are happy to hear the words from Obama about her life and how they can follow in her footsteps.
"She can give us information about how she went to school, how she did in college. And then we can do how she did," she says.
Eventually, the program will include boys.
"We were told we get to meet her. So it's going to be very spectacular," says student Michael Streno. He, and about a dozen other students, spent their Sunday preparing welcome signs for Michelle Obama.
Streno is one of just 30 students who'll get to speak to Obama about education Monday afternoon.
Each student had to come up with five questions to ask Obama during a discussion in the school's library.
But about 80 girls from across Colorado will get to have lunch with Obama at the governor's mansion a couple of hours before that.
The first lady is visiting Denver to promote the White House leadership and mentoring initiative.
She hopes to push the program nationally. Colorado is her first stop after she launched the program earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
Dozens of local accomplished ladies will join Obama in visiting 11 high schools after the luncheon. The program's goal is to put students together with these women who can be their mentors.
"It's great to see folks in the community say, 'The sky's the limit. You can achieve this. Keep your goals in front of you and it's possible," says Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter.
Ritter says mentoring programs not only motivate young people to do better in school, it improves their self-esteem and gives them a positive support system. She says she's happy to help spread the word.
While students like freshman Anne Marie Ndihokubwyo are happy to hear the words from Obama about her life and how they can follow in her footsteps.
"She can give us information about how she went to school, how she did in college. And then we can do how she did," she says.
Eventually, the program will include boys.
