The President's story could be the story of many children at Torchlight Academy. More than half the students at this charter school come from single parent households, almost all are minority, and many are low-income.

So when President Obama talked in his speech Tuesday about setting goals and not giving up, it struck a chord with students.

"He was talking about my education, and my classmates education," said fifth grader Beverly Horne.

"When I go to college," said Tahir Barnes, another fifth grader. "I'll have a backup plan for me if the first plan didn't work."

Photographs and paintings of President Obama and the first family are prominently displayed at the school. Executive Director Donnie McQueen said Obama is a role model for students. The boys even dress like him, complete with dark pants, white shirt and tie.

"He sets an example for them of what they should be like and how they should conduct themselves in a very professional manner," said McQueen.

McQueen said there was no question of whether the children would watch the speech.

"Some parents communicated with us and wanted to make sure that their children had a chance to see it," he said.

Back in class, students discussed the speech and wrote about what they had heard.

"One of the important things Mr. Obama said was, 'you can't just drop out of school and think you will have a good job or career,'" wrote fifth grader Sha'Tara Moody.

The message of not giving up resonates with school administrators too. Torchlight almost lost its charter last spring, but it back on track with good year-end test scores and a soon-to-be-completed state audit.