MAGAZINES: First Lady Michelle Obama ON Higher Learning, Resilience, And Making The Most Of Opportunities In ESSENCE

FLOTUS Michelle Obama covers the August 2014 issue of ESSENCE where she champions higher learning and the importance of resilence in the face of adversity.  Find out how the FLOTUS encourages Sasha and Malia inside....

For ESSENCE Magazine's August 2014 issue, FLOTUS Michelle Obama, wearing a teal dress by Azede Jean-Pierre, explains her passion for higher learning and shares the tools and life lessons she's passing onto her daughters Sasha and Malia. She also champions hardwork and discusses the importance of nurturing resilience in our children. Here are the highlights:

On Working Hard and Believing In Yourself:

"I know I tell my kids all the time that they shouldn't shy away from difficult things, because that is the point at which you are really growing. It's not just about grades or test scores. Today our kids may shy away from applying to college if they think they don't have the right grade or test score. But the truth is that the kids who succeed and go on to be successful professionals are the ones who know how to work hard."

On Opportunity and what we owe our Ancestors:

"We cannot waste the opportunity that we have here in America, especially as African-Americans. Our ancestors fought and bled and died so that we could go to school. And I still think about that."

On Preparing Sasha and Malia for the future:

"We talk about responsibility and accountability, about making sure that they're not wasting the opportunities they're given. We make sure they know how lucky they are and that, because of that, they have an obligation to have their acts together and to take their education very seriously."

In addition, this month's issue also features ESSENCE's "Education Special," where real-life moms talk about their children's education. In "Moms on the Front Lines," ESSENCE salutes six women whose extraordinary work in education reform. In "The Secrets to Raising Really Smart Kids," ESSENCE asked experts across the country for their best tips to propel our kids to excellence.  Readers can pick up the August issue of ESSENCE on July 4th.