of Thomas Jefferson , I found kernels of America 's greatness . In those pages , I unearthed a yearning to dream beyond my surroundings , to strive for more , to seek a way to contribute to our nation . Many of the leaders , including Abraham Lincoln , born in a log cabin in Kentucky , ascended from humble beginnings on the wings of education to guide America forward . Devouring their stories , it ceased to matter where I was from or how far removed I was from the centers of power . With an education and a dream -- in America -- anything was possible . Whenever President Obama addresses our youth , he embodies the power of education . Education is the cornerstone of our democracy , the key to upward mobility , a linchpin to transforming whimsical dreams into actionable goals . Ask Bill Clinton . Raised by his widowed mother in Arkansas , he became a Rhodes Scholar . Look at Barack Obama . Emerging from a broken family , he built on degrees from Columbia and Harvard in his odyssey to the White House . Remember Dwight Eisenhower . Hailing from Kansas
Editor 's note : Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com , a site featuring multicultural political commentary . He is host of a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show and wrote a guide to success for immigrants -LRB- '' ¡ Adelante ! '' published by Random House -RRB- . He is co-founder and president of Interlex , an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio , Texas . Rudy Ruiz says the lives of U.S. presidents can make them positive role models for students . SAN ANTONIO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Perhaps we got too used to living in a nation where the president inevitably becomes persona non grata . Maybe after the Clinton and Bush years , we forgot how to give a president a chance to serve not just as a punching bag but also as a role model . Have we become so disenchanted and polarized we ca n't give our own president a chance to teach our children something about what it takes to succeed ? As a small-town boy , I drew inspiration from presidential biographies . As I got lost in the adventures of Teddy Roosevelt , the spirit of George Washington and the ideals