Former President Obama talks career choices with Hyde Park students

CHICAGO - Former President Barack Obama brought a thrill to students Thursday on Chicago’s South Side.

Obama visited Hyde Park Academy to talk with juniors and seniors about how to make the right career choices. It was part of the Obama Foundation's Future Series.

Students had the opportunity to ask the president about his early career decisions, and the surprises he encountered on the way to the White House.

"I didn’t have a clear cut path to becoming the President of the United States, I took many roads to get to where I am today and it took me a while to get there," said President Obama. "There is so much pressure around what you’re going to do when you grow up and the truth is you have room and time to explore a bunch of ideas. You all are so young and you shouldn’t feel bad that you haven’t figured it out yet."

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The Future Series began in February 2022.

"The idea behind the Futures Series is simple—if you can see it, you can be it," said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett.  "We want every young person to see the accomplishments of the speakers in this series as within their own reach and to dream a little bit bigger. That they too can be the next CEO or President of the United States. This initiative is just one of the ways the Obama Foundation is focused on engaging youth in our front yard and it’s the kind of activity that we are thrilled to bring to life when the Obama Presidential Center opens its doors."