dr. peter benson chose for the title of one of his books, this campaign is a spark. it's a spark that is igniting americans from every walk of life to join us. as many of you know, peter passed away last year. he was truly a visionary who played a founding and guiding role in our alliance, and there was no greater champion for the power of the five promises to change lives. he once said, "to dream what is possible and put one's self in service of that dream is the formula for a life well-lived." i know that if he were here today, he would be so excited to see so many people who have stepped up as leaders to bring more of the promises to the young people who need them. because that's the heart of our grad nation work. we all know that it's an election year. how can you escape it? everybody's mind is on the economy. and jobs is our top priorities. but we need to help all americans recognize that there is a direct link between quality education and thriving economically strong communities. that's the theme of this summit. and you'll be hearing more and more about it ove