The 2016 National Teacher of the Year, Jahana Hayes, will be honored by President Obama at the White House today on National Teacher Appreciation Day.

Ahead of the ceremony, Hayes took to the White House mailing list to send out some of her thoughts about the importance of education.

Though it was already public information that Hayes grew up under difficult circumstances as a teen mom, she elaborated on the obstacles she overcame to be a nationally recognized teacher today.

"As a country, we need to ensure that the quality of a child’s education is not dependent on the neighborhood where he or she grew up,” she said.

"For me, that’s personal. I grew up in the projects, surrounded by poverty, drugs and violence. At the age of 17, I became a mom.”

Hayes’ family did not emphasize the importance of education as a pathway to success because they never embarked on that journey; it was her teachers that encouraged her to persevere and be the first in her family to pursue higher education.

Now, Hayes is about to be recognized at the White House alongside other top educators in the nation to pay tribute to their public service.

Hayes said she’s happy to be recognized the year the the new education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act, will go into effect.

"ESSA is a great representation of this reflective process: It cements critical policies, like holding high standards for teaching and learning, while also allowing states and districts flexibility in creating policies to address the diverse needs of our students."

"I’m grateful for the President’s leadership on education throughout his time in office. Through all of the hardships and struggle, when I stand in front of my classroom, I see nothing but promise in the faces of the students looking back at me.”

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Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

5/3/2016