Thanks, Heather. Hi, everyone!

Many of you know that about two weeks ago President Obama hosted the White House Summit on Global Development to celebrate the incredible progress we have made with our partners, and to chart a course for the future.

And I’m proud to say that our progress with groups like YALI, and our other leadership initiatives, was a big part of the conversation. So we had some of our young leaders in the room. And I have to say they were easily the loudest and most enthusiastic group at the entire Summit.

So I knew coming here today that this was going to be a fun one. You people have a lot of energy; it’s hard to keep up.

And that’s a good thing, because the world needs your energy. And it turns out the world needs your smarts, your ingenuity, and your work ethic, too.

And as we move forward, your job is to take all of these qualities – plus the new skills you’ve learned through the Mandela fellowship – and put them to work to build a better future for your communities, your countries, and your continent.

That’s your job. Our job is to help you do it.

That means linking you to leadership opportunities like the ones Heather mentioned to test and strengthen your skills while you’re here in the States.

It means helping you continue to grow once you return home, through the mentorships, practicums, and other opportunities you heard about this morning.

It means connecting you to other leaders to be your guides, partners, and sounding boards. And we actually have six of our 2015 Fellows who are here to do just that. Can you all wave or make some noise?

They are all members of the Regional Advisory Boards, and they’re here to help you figure out what’s next. Find out more about their experiences here, and what they’ve been doing to build on them since returning to Africa.

And as you continue to think about your own path – whether in government service, entrepreneurship, or civil society – I hope you’ll think about how you can help others like you.

Because the truth is, this group doesn’t even scratch the surface of the talent and potential of Africa’s young people. And though we’ve done our part to grow this program – and let me tell you, it is pretty powerful to see so many of you here, a thousand strong – we need to do even more to support training, networking, and other professional development opportunities on the continent.

That’s why, last summer, we partnered with businesses and African universities to launch Regional Leadership Centers across Africa. And since then, 1400 young people have taken part in training at the Centers. And this coming year, we’re going to reach even more.

That’s where you come in. You know people who could benefit from these kinds of opportunities, just like you have. So get the word out to your friends and colleagues, and make sure they apply. And think about how you can offer your experience and expertise to help support the Centers in other ways.

By the way, that goes for our private sector and NGO partners here today, too. From its start, YALI has always been about partnership, and the Centers are no different. We need all of you to make them as successful as they can be.

Now we’re at the point where I could talk for another couple hours about the importance of networking, and connecting to other young leaders. Or I could just let you go do it.

So I’ll end by just saying thank you. First of all to all the partners – many in this room – who have helped make YALI such a point of pride for this Administration. And I specifically want to thank Kristin and the IREX team for supporting our Mandela fellows. And of course I want to thank Heather and the State Department, and all of our colleagues from across the United States Government who have helped make YALI what it is today.

But most of the credit goes to all of you, our fellows and young leaders. You have made our ambitious goals realistic, and our investments worthwhile.

At the Summit last month President Obama called on us to continue our critical work to build the next generation of leaders – in Africa and around the world. “Together,” he said, “let’s keep empowering our young people whose energy and enthusiasm and optimism can lift up countries, no matter how tough the circumstances.”

Thank you for that energy. For that enthusiasm. For that optimism. And please know that we will keep doing our part to answer the President’s call. And I know I speak for everyone at USAID, State, and all of our partners when I say that we can’t wait to watch you do yours.

Thank you.