First Lady Michelle Obama Pays Tribute To King College Prep Grads, Hadiya Pendleton

CHICAGO (CBS) --A huge night as students at King College Prep celebrated their graduation, sent on their way with words of advice from First Lady Michelle Obama.

Drawing from her own experience growing up on the South Side, the first lady shared a message of hope to the students as they enter a new and exciting phase of their lives.

But as CBS 2's Jim Williams reports, even this happiest of occasion is bittersweet.

This should have been Hadiya Pendleton's graduation day. She was remembered and honored by her classmates and the First Lady

In the section reserved for the graduates, flowers were placed on a single chair, reserved for the girl who wasn't here: Hadiya Pendleton, an innocent teenager shot to death in early 2013.

After the rousing greeting for First Lady Michelle Obama, the King College Prep Class of 2015 paid tribute to their slain classmate in a video and they gave her parents Hadiya's cap, gown and class ring.

Mrs. Obama's commencement address included praise for Mr. and Mrs. Pendleton, who've launched a national anti-violence campaign.

"I want to honor the Pendleton family for their courage and grace and their love," she said. "Hadiya's memory is truly a blessing and an inspiration to me and to my husband and to people across the country and around the world."

As the Pendletons wiped away tears, Mrs. Obama told the graduates they could honor Hadiya's memory by working hard in the years ahead.

"I know you all can live your life with the same determination and joy that Hadiya lived her life," she said. "I know you all can dig deep and keep on fighting to fulfill your own dreams because graduates in the end, you all are the ones responsible for changing the narrative about our communities."

Hadiya was slain in a neighborhood close to the Obamas Chicago home days after appearing at the president's inauguration. Since the Obama family has embraced the Pendleton family.