Last year, as a participant in Harker’s Summer Camp+ program, grade 6 student Jeremy Ding wrote a letter to President Obama about the dangers of smoking. It was part of a summer language art class assignment and Ding was both surprised and thrilled when, in early February, he received a letter from the president in response.

The letter thanked Ding for writing and explained that finding new ways to help both children and adults lead healthy lives has been a priority for the Obama administration. In addition to discussing the Affordable Care Act, the letter highlighted the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, which teams up with schools and communities nationwide to help ensure kids are getting enough healthy food and exercise.

“It was plain amazing. After that, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Maybe many people receive these letters, but it would still be (I think) a minority,” said Ding, about his experience receiving the response from the president.