When I was young, my mother didn't have the money to send me to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with education. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning. We need every one of you to develop your talents and your skills so that you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. If you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country. No one's written your destiny for you, because you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time reading a book. But whatever you decide to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star. No one's born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work. You're not a good athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. Why does the writer call on everyone to set his/her own goal?
Because everyone's future is determined by themselves. Because everyone's future is to do simple work. Because everyone should do their homework. Because everyone should pay attention in class.