Michelle Obama Hosts College Signing Day With Camila Cabello, Zendaya & Other Celebs

Former First Lady Michelle Obama hosted her fifth annual National College Signing Day today in Philadelphia with a celeb-packed event to celebrate. Approximately 8,000 high school seniors filled Temple University’s Liacouras Center to take part in performances and pep talks from the likes of Zendaya, Robert DeNiro, Karlie Kloss, Janelle Monae and more.

Skechers ambassador Camila Cabello was on hand to perform, ditching sneakers for white ankle booties as she hit the stage. Kelly Rowland, on the other hand, was laced up in Nikes — a secure choice for her energetic leap into the air as she was introduced before speaking to the students.

A first-generation college student, herself, Obama of course also dropped jewels of wisdom throughout the day.

“I am so proud of you all. You did just what I did. You ignored the haters,” said Obama. “I want you to know: It is perfectly normal for you to be scared about this next step. I certainly was.”

She added, “We love you so much. We have such high hopes for you. I know you have everything it takes to succeed.”

Obama also shared several photos to her Instagram account to commemorate the festivities.

“#CollegeSigningDay has become one of my favorite traditions. It’s a day when we can all come together to honor your passion and ambition and cheer you on,” she said in a caption for one of her posts.

View this post on Instagram

I know how hard all of you have worked to make your dreams of going to college come true. I was once in your shoes, and I know it isn’t easy. But I can tell you that from the South Side of Chicago to Princeton and Harvard and beyond, my education unlocked so many doors for me – and I know it will do the same for you. That’s why #CollegeSigningDay has become one of my favorite traditions. It’s a day when we can all come together to honor your passion and ambition and cheer you on as you get ready to take the next big step in life. I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to see everything you achieve!  #BetterMakeRoom (📷 credit: @chuckkennedydc)

A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on May 2, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

National College Signing Day was started by the former First Lady in 2014 as a means to highlight and celebrate students headed for college. This year 600,000 students were registered to participate in the special occasion, with events taking place in 2,000 different locations nationwide. Past fetes have been held in Detroit, New York and San Antonio, Texas.

Other notable attendees at today’s Philadelphia gathering included Ciara, Nick Cannon, Bradley Cooper, Questlove, Rebel Wilson and more.

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