Michelle Obama delivered the first-ever commencement speech — her first as First Lady — at the University of California, Merced in Merced, California on Saturday. The nearly 500 students receiving diplomas are the first graduating class since the small university opened its doors in 2005.

As the commencement speaker, Mrs. O told the graduates, “You will face tough times. You will certainly have doubts, and let me tell you because I know I did when I was your age.”

“Remember that you are blessed. Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back. You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future.”