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Thank you all for coming. It's a real honor to be standing in today for President and Mrs. Bush. I want to thank my co-host, good friend, and an all-around good egg, Secretary Leavitt, for joining me.

Today feels a bit like a homecoming for me because I had the privilege of working here as an adviser to the president for four great years. Before I left this past January to move to the Department of Education, I checked to make sure I could still come back to visit as a guest. As it turns out, everyone at the White House is just a guest—including the president who has a special four-year invitation from the American people. This house belongs to America. So I'm pleased to welcome all of you to your White House or as the president calls it, "the people's house."

The Easter Egg Roll has been a tradition here since 1878 when President Hayes opened the gates of the White House to the children of Washington. Up until that year, the egg roll was held on Capitol Hill, so it's only fitting that we're celebrating today with members of Congress. Thanks for being here.

I also want to thank all the volunteers and entertainers for making today possible. I'm looking forward to reading alongside some of my good friends from the White House and the president's cabinet. And of course, let me thank all the authors for coming to share their stories with us.

It's great to see all our special guests wearing the mentor and mentee badges. Mentoring is special work. It can be as simple as reading a book or talking through a problem with a child. The government funds a lot of programs to help children, but in the end, an hour of your time means more to a child than anything the government could ever do. Thank you for your good work.

One of the wonders of mentoring is that we can learn a lot from children when we listen. Just ask my daughters. They've taught me far more than I've taught them.

We also know that mentors can make a real difference by teaching children to make the right choices in life. Research shows that mentoring can help students improve their attendance and academic performance in school. In other words, mentoring can save students from falling behind in school and in life.

Take the story of 10-year-old Delonte from Washington, DC. When he first met his mentor, 21-year-old Andre, at the East Capitol Center for Change, he was withdrawn and afraid to express himself. Through developing a trusting relationship with Andre, Delonte has developed self-confidence. Now he's an honor roll student who expresses himself through poetry. I want to thank you both for being here today. Let's give them a hand.

Stories like Delonte's show how mentoring can help us make sure every child succeeds in school. That's why we're working to expand mentoring efforts for students across the country as part of No Child Left Behind.

The demand for mentors has never been higher. Right now, around 15 million children wait in need of mentors. Mentors can come from all different walks of life. Sometimes a mentor can even just be a fellow student willing to look out for a younger peer. We need to encourage more Americans to join your ranks and volunteer to help. Thanks again for coming today and for setting such a positive example. Thank you.

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