Penguin Talks is a programme of free creative talks hosted by Penguin for young people across the UK, which give the audience the opportunity to both hear from and directly question a world-renowned thinker, writer or influential figure from our family of authors.
Our aim is to help equip young people for the future by introducing a new generation of readers to new ideas and perspectives, and broadening their understanding of issues which speakers feel to be particularly prevalent for this generation.
The event was filmed, with the video to be made available for all to watch on the Penguin Books YouTube channel later this week. A free teaching resource, based on the central themes and ideas of Becoming, will also be available to download from the Penguin Talks page shortly.
In the meantime, here are six of our picks of Mrs Obama's most inspiring quotes from the discussion...
On looking after yourself:
‘Take care of you, because you are the best asset you can invest in at this time. So that means taking care of your space, your health, your education. Protecting your heart is an important investment for the bigger picture.'
On mentorship and giving back:
'I mentor because I was mentored ... I feel like when someone invests in me, as many people have, what I write about in my book is that I didn’t get here on my own. There were people in my life who saw potential in me, who held a hand out and showed me the way. I am a product of the generosity of other people’s mentorship. So the expectation of myself is that I give that back.'
On the power of education:
'I absolutely believe that education is the key, not just for young women, but for people in general. Knowledge, the opportunities to mature, to try new things, meet new people, to be open to different cultures.'
On the importance in changing the future through voting:
'The one challenge that we have, at least in our country, is harnessing the power we have and the responsibility we have with that, and by that, I mean voting.'
On what's next:
'Barack and I want to be a part of training that next generation of leaders. We want to be a part of working with leaders not just in the US but around the world. We think that multiplier effect is more powerful than anything he or I could do as individuals.'
And on the keys to maintaining a successful partnership:
'In order to be a true partner in any relationship, I’ve learned that you have to be whole first ... Love doesn’t fix the problems you have inside, you are a better partner when you work on yourself'