White House-bound Salutatorian Orubba Almansouri delivering her impassioned speech at CCNY’s 170th commencement.
Orubba Almansouri’s stirring salutatory speech at The City College of New York’s 170th Commencement Exercises wowed fellow graduates and guests including First Lady Michelle Obama. Now it’s earned her invitation to the White House for next week’s United State of Women Summit.
Almansouri joins President Obama, Mrs. Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and a host of other speakers from all walks of life at the summit, June 14 – 15 in the nation’s capital.
“After delivering her keynote speech, Mrs. Obama embraced me on her way out, telling me how proud she is of me and that she would be in contact” said the Yemeni-born Almansouri. “This week one of her aides invited me to speak at the United State of Women Summit. I am thrilled to hear all the amazing speakers and to speak on the panel, ‘Let Girls Learn.’”
A Carnasie, Brooklyn, resident, Almansouri spoke passionately at commencement on her fight to pursue her education as a woman, countering the tradition for females in her family.
She’s graduated from CCNY with double BA degrees in English and history and a 3.97 GPA.
Almansouri is now an advocate for other young women in her culture to stand up for their rights to an education.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. More than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Science; Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; School of Education; Grove School of Engineering; Sophie Davis Biomedical Education/CUNY School of Medicine; and the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. U.S. News, Princeton Review and Forbes all rank City College among the best colleges and universities in the United States.