Already have an account?
Get back to the

Michelle Obama, Seth Meyers Visit Nick Cannon at Howard University: ‘Don’t Rush to be Ballin’’

Michelle Obama, Seth Meyers and Nick Cannon
Michelle Obama, Seth Meyers and Nick Cannon pay a visit to Howard University as part of her Reach Higher initiative and Better Make Room campaign in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 1, 2016. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Always learning! Michelle Obama and Seth Meyers joined Nick Cannon during a back-to-school event at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 1, and the trio gave the graduating class of 2020 some sage advice.

Students in attendance were surprised when Meyers, 42, announced that they had a special guest in the house and proceeded to introduce Obama to the stage. The audience greeted her with a standing ovation.

Related: PHOTOS: Michelle Obama's Style

“College was probably the most impactful thing that I’ve done in my life, other than being First Lady and having kids and marrying Barack Obama,” the 52-year-old Princeton graduate said to laughter from the crowd. “But college did everything for me.”

“This is one of the reasons why we promote Reach Higher, in getting kids to own their future and go to college if possible,” she added, referring to her initiative, which aims to make higher education more accessible to everyone. “Because it changes your life. It opens up a world of opportunity.”

Cannon, 35, shared similar sentiments. “Honestly, I’m not here for a degree,” the America’s Got Talent host said. “I’m here because I have a real thirst for knowledge. I feel like that’s why we’re all here in this room.”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars — They're Just Like Us!

The TV-show host started his freshman year at the historic college in late August after announcing his decision to return to school earlier this year. But not everyone in Cannon’s family has been superhelpful in the transition.

“I got my brother here, he’s a junior,” the actor said, joking. “But he doesn’t wanna hang out with me because I’m a freshman!”

“He’s embarrassed by you,” Obama replied. “You’re just a young freshman.”

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity Yearbook Pics!

Meyers offered his own learning moment from being a first-year college student at Northwestern University. “I learned a lot about hygiene,” the late-night talk-show host said. “I was not a jackpot roommate.”

During their chat with the audience, the First Lady also advised students to ignore the doubters and haters who try to tell them their academic pursuits are for naught.

“Just brush it off and just do the work,” she said. “It’s the doing of the work that just gets you through. It’s not what other people think of you. I still carry that with me today as First Lady of the United States, because there are people who don’t think I should be doing that either. And it’s been eight years.”

Put bluntly: “Don’t rush to be ballin’. Grow into your lifestyle.”

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!