collegeho goes on to and comes back and teaches. that is so meaningful. i was thrilled i got to meet her here when i visited when she was a student and now get to come back while she is an english teacher. i also want to thank jared for leaving us in the pledge of allegiance. for joining usu today. thank you for the roundtable discussion we just had, which was really like a reunion. it is great to see so many people we have seen on other visits. much, dr. norman landrieu, thank you. we have met here many times before and again today. thank you for all of the work each one of you have done to bring new orleans back. we really appreciate you. in 2001 when she was teaching as a teach for america member in baton rouge. she is now the executive director of teach for america greater new orleans. she is also on the louisiana board as a board member on the board of elementary and secondary education. she and thousands of other educators have committed their lives to improve and expand educational opportunities for students in new orleans. and for that, i am grateful. thank you. and a very special thanks to the principal. thank you very much for your leadership and for hosting us today. we are thrilled to be back here at warren easton charter high school. i am happy to be introducing someone who is traveling with us agent tjcret service mathews. [applause] tj is an alumna of warren easton high school. as a teacher and librarian, i care deeply about developing every student's love for reading and learning. this was important to me as first lady of texas and of the united states. the002, with the help of ambassador, who is over here, i established the laura bush foundation for america's funds to to provide update, expand, and diversify the print and book collections of america's libraries. 2005, after hurricane katrina devastated the gulf coast, and many school libraries, we were having our final board meeting of the laura bush foundation. we had raised all of the money we wanted to for our endowment. i told our board members, i can't quit thinking about those libraries across the gulf coast. one of our board members, also with us today, said why don't we keep raising money and whatever we raise now we will give way to the gulf coast schools? the lara bush foundation for america's libraries wanted to help. so at that meeting, one month after hurricane katrina, we founded the gulf coast school library recovery initiative, point 4 million dollars to rebuild the library collections across the gulf coast. the gulf coast initiative has given grants to 124 school libraries, warren easton is one of them. warren easton is one of 46 new orleans schools that have received library grants. after the hurricane, warren easton was under five feet of water. the cafeteria and the gym were demolished. the second-floor library was third-floor the floor roof leaks. the computer systems were ruined and over 9000 books were destroyed by water and mold. have thejust roundtable upstairs and the library is filled with books, approximately 16,000. is again a great place for the next generation of learn, and study, to to fall in love with reading. i'm happy the laura bush foundation could contribute to the recovery of so many gulf coast schools and i am thrilled that books are back on the shelves and in the hands of children. where they belong. to each and everyone of you went to all of the volunteers across our country and to the citizens of new orleans. thank you for everything you have done to help rebuild the gulf coast. and a special thanks to the librarians who came from all over the country who donated their time and talent to help the gulf coast libraries rebuild and restore their collections. george and i are grateful to the work of so many of you and we are happy to see the big easy is thriving. thank you all. [applause] now i invite my husband, president bush, to the podium. [applause]