President Obama coming to K-Central graduation

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – President Obama has made his choice.

Kalamazoo Central will be hosting the President of the United States at its graduation ceremony this year.

The school produced a video to show why they deserved the presidential visit. The public narrowed down the running from five schools to three last week by voting on the White House's Web site.

K-Central made it as one of the final three schools. The president made the final decision on which school to visit.

The Kalamazoo school was up against two other high schools. One is in Cincinnati and the other is in Denver.

K-Central's graduation is set for 7:00 pm on June 10th at Wings Stadium.

In the past the students have been able to invite as many people as they wanted because there were plenty of seats. There may be some changes to that policy now that the president is coming.

Many Michigan lawmakers have extended their congratulations to K-Central.

Senator Debbie Stabenow said “I want to send my congratulations to Kalamazoo Central High School for winning President Obama’s Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.  I’m so excited for the school and pleased that I had an opportunity to personally talk to the President about the great things happening at the school and the community.  The community has shown that they value their schools and their children, with programs such as the Kalamazoo Promise.  They are truly a great American success story and an example that with hard work and determination there is no limit to success.” --U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

Representative Fred Upton said “Congratulations to the students at Kalamazoo Central and the entire community whose remarkable outpouring of support made this extraordinary announcement possible. K-Central’s place in the national spotlight is a testament to Kalamazoo, whose leaders stepped up with the profound gift of the Promise that provides our youth the opportunity to receive an education despite the very difficult economic climate.
 
“Having visited K-Central again just last month, I continue to be impressed with the students’ passion to learn and to better themselves through education as they represent the leaders of tomorrow.  Winning the Commencement Challenge is a great achievement for the students, parents and faculty - we have so much to be proud of here in Kalamazoo.”

Lorence Wenke said  "The basis for the recognition is the Kalamazoo Promise, the college scholarship program for Kalamazoo graduates, and the reform efforts it has inspired.  Through a generous private sector endowment, the Kalamazoo Promise has provided inspiration to thousands of high school students to continue their education and go to college when most recipients wouldn’t have been able to afford a college education otherwise.  This is a great example of private enterprise coming together for the public good.  It is a model for public and private sector partnerships,” Mr. Wenke stated.

Representative Larry DeShazor said "I would like to congratulate not only the students at Kalamazoo Central, but the Kalamazoo community as a whole. This is an incredible honor and shows the entire country the support we have from our community and the outstanding quality of our schools."

Senator Carl Levin also congratulated K-Central from the floor of the Senate. A text version of those remarks can be found here. You can watch Sen. Levin's speech at C-SPAN here.

Derek Jeter also expressed his congratulations saying "It's exciting to think that through the support of my Turn 2 Foundation website, I have been a part of joining forces with the community and supporters of Kalamazoo Central High School.

For the students at me and my sister's alma mater, this is a tremendous opportunity that very few young people will ever experience.

This is really a testament to the quality of the staff and the students at Kalamazoo Central."

Another K-Central alumni, Greg Jennings, said "I thought it was great.  I got a text from my sister this morning and I was in awe.  It's huge not only for Kalamazoo Central but also the city of Kalamazoo."